It’s never too early to start thinking about next season. Pro Football Focus put together a preliminary list of the top 50 pending free agents come March of 2025. And the top quarterback on their list resides in Pittsburgh. Justin Fields is the No. 1 quarterback set to become a free agent and took the 12th-overall spot on PFF’s list. He was one of two Steelers to appear on there, joined by OG James Daniels at No. 40.
On Fields, the site acknowledges his value at quarterback gives him a boost in their ratings.
“Are there better players lower down this list than Fields? Probably. However, the value of the quarterback position elevates him to a fringe top-10 free agent at this point. His 73.0 PFF passing grade ranks 11th in the league this season, putting him on pace for a career-best in that category.”
It’s why quarterbacks get paid the big bucks. After garnering little trade interest this offseason, Fields is poised to have a much more active market if he continues his play. His production hasn’t looked spectacular, but he’s more accurate and less mistake-prone than in Chicago. Fields’ completion percentage is just 6 points, his interception rate has slashed to under 1 percent, and his sack rate is in the single digits for the first time in his career.
As PFF notes, they’re grading him higher than ever, too. Still, there are questions about his ability to hold onto the starting job, and it looks like an open question who will start in Week 7 against the New York Jets.
If Fields holds onto the job and keeps playing well, Pittsburgh’s top priority will be that he doesn’t see free agency. That will come at a cost. Putting even a ballpark price tag is difficult mid-way through a season, but a $30 million-per-year floor is a good place to start. That would give him a similar contract to what Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield received prior to 2024, and Fields would likely look to get more.
He is just one of two quarterbacks on the list, one slot above the Minnesota Vikings’ Sam Darnold, who is having a resurgent season. A lack of free agency options coupled by a questionable draft class would make Fields all the more valuable—and all the more expensive.
Daniels would’ve placed higher on this list had it not been for a torn Achilles in Week 4 that ended his season. Prior to the injury, he was set to be paid big bucks this offseason and be out of the Steelers’ range. Now, his market value and future are uncertain, though this actually increases the odds he returns to Pittsburgh.
Miami Dolphins FS Jevon Holland is the No. 1 player on PFF’s list, a name not well-known in the national media but one of the league’s better safeties. Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins and Kansas City Chiefs OG Trey Smith round out the podium.
Of course, many of these names could come off the list based on performance, health, and players being re-signed or franchise-tagged. Still, it’s a useful guide and starting point to begin evaluating where and who the Steelers could target.
