If the best-case scenario for the quarterback situation of the Pittsburgh Steelers was Justin Fields outright winning the job with stellar play, one of the worst-case scenarios may be what ended up playing out.
That might be a bit of hyperbole, as both Russell Wilson and Fields playing poorly would have been the true worst-case scenario. But the Steelers are going to find themselves in a tricky situation this upcoming free agency period in March. If Wilson continues playing well and deserves a look at a second contract with the Steelers, then it might be impossible to retain Fields for the future because of his 4-2 start to the season in which he looked much improved.
“It’s gonna be hard for Justin Fields to stay around here,” said Steelers insider Mark Kaboly via 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show. “Because there’s gonna be a bunch of teams gonna be throwing money at him. I think the Colts will, I think the Panthers will…If you’re considering moving forward with Russell Wilson here, it’s gonna be hard for Justin Fields to come back.”
Kaboly is more or less shutting down the idea of the Steelers getting the best of both worlds with retaining both quarterbacks and stashing Fields for the future. He’s always had very high potential, and he took some substantial steps toward realizing that potential over the first six weeks of the season.
The Steelers will have to choose between three to four seasons of Wilson, or the possibility of 10 seasons with Fields. The 10-year age gap between the two quarterbacks will make it a very tough decision for Omar Khan and company.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter opined about the situation in Pittsburgh at the end of last week via The Rothman and Ice Podcast. He said the Steelers are unlikely to retain both, suggesting the Steelers could pay above $30 million for either quarterback. Given the market for quarterbacks right now, I think Wilson would command well over $30 million if his current level of play holds up, especially if he leads the Steelers to some playoff wins.
Fields’ number is a bit more tricky to pin down. His career resume isn’t very impressive, and he wasn’t a very hot commodity in the trade market during free agency last year. The Steelers got him for just a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick. His 4-2 record was impressive, but Wilson has been able to step in and perform even better. Maybe he could get a contract similar to Geno Smith, who got $25 million per season to put him roughly in the top 20 paid quarterbacks. But a bidding war could drive that up, and the quarterback market has continued to climb since Smith signed that deal.
For what it’s worth, Fields’ fifth-year option that the Steelers declined was roughly $25 million for the 2025 season. If anyone pays him that amount, it would be a leap of faith after a small sample size of a supposed career turnaround.
