Who is going to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2025? That’s the big question at the moment. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are both free agents, although it seems likely one of them returns to the Steelers as the starter. However, that might not sound too appealing for fans. Neither of them looked particularly impressive in 2024. For that reason, Pete Prisco wants the Steelers to take a quarterback in this upcoming draft.
“If you’re the Steelers, at some point you’ve got to get your own guy,” Prisco said recently on CBS Sports HQ. “When they were good, why were they good? They had Terry Bradshaw, they drafted him. You had Ben Roethlisberger, you drafted him.
“You’ve gotta keep taking swings until you get that guy. If not, you’re just piecing it together year in and year out. You might have that season where you make the playoffs, but you’re not doing any damage in the playoffs with a Russell Wilson or a Justin Fields.”
Prisco isn’t wrong that the Steelers likely aren’t going to be a serious contender until they find their next franchise quarterback. Neither Wilson nor Fields looked like the long-term solution at quarterback for the Steelers. They’ve been miserable in the playoffs recently, and part of that is because of their quarterback play.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they need to reach on a quarterback again. The Steelers took Kenny Pickett too high in the 2022 draft, and that proved to be a mistake. Taking a quarterback high just because it’s a need would be a mistake. They should only do that if they really have a chance at getting their next franchise guy.
This year’s quarterback class doesn’t look particularly appealing either. In fact, it looks like the weakest group since 2022. The Steelers are probably better off upgrading at one of the other positions where they are weak, like wide receiver.
If the Steelers continue to upgrade the other pieces of their team, they could get their franchise guy in next year’s draft and set him up for success.
The Steelers could always find a middle ground this year. They could bring back one of Wilson or Fields while also taking a quarterback on Day 2 or 3 of the draft. In that scenario, they could allow the rookie to sit and learn, allowing him to develop. That seems most likely at the moment, but with free agency still to come, things could change drastically.
