The Pittsburgh Steelers took a gamble entering the season with two quarterbacks on one-year contracts. Russell Wilson was signed for the veteran minimum with the Denver Broncos picking up the rest of the tab while Justin Fields was acquired for just a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
While it’s worked out exceedingly well for the Steelers so far, it is now going to be an even more difficult decision on how to proceed in 2025 and beyond. Steelers insider Gerry Dulac continues to stand by his report that Russell Wilson and the Steelers intend on working out a longer-term deal after the season. That, of course, would likely mean the likely of Fields’ time in Pittsburgh. Some would say that is the wrong decision given that Wilson is 35 years old — he turns 36 in little over a week — while Fields is 25.
According to ESPN insiders Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, Fields might make a lot of sense for the QB job with the New York Giants following the benching and likely end of Daniel Jones’ time with the team.
“If they don’t end up picking in the top two or three slots, the Giants could be shut out,” Graziano wrote via ESPN. “If they aren’t in position to draft Jones’ successor, there are a few potentially intriguing options on the free agent/trade market.
“Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are going to be free agents; could one of them fit?”
Wilson did visit with the Giants in March before ultimately signing with the Steelers. He is big on personal branding and the New York market is obviously a large opportunity for that. He is also big on the history of organizations and a winning culture. It has been rough for the Giants for a bit, but it wasn’t long ago they were winning Super Bowls with Eli Manning, and they certainly have an extensive history as one of the league’s oldest teams.
Still, it feels more likely that Fields hits free agency than Wilson, at least for the time being.
“The Giants will inevitably need to double down with a draft pick and veteran help to address this massive need,” Fowler wrote. “A few scouts floated to me that Fields could be a fit for [Brian] Daboll, who knows how to use mobile quarterbacks and can scheme up defined throws for him.”
Fields developed as a passer in a lot of ways during his six starts with the Steelers. He has the highest completion percentage of his career (66.3) and a 5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
While I am sure the Steelers would love to bring both Wilson and Fields back, it seems unlikely at this point. All it would take is one team to offer decent money to make retaining both virtually impossible. The Giants could very well be that team.
