Should the Steelers have interest in Sam Darnold?
Sam Darnold lost in the same round of the playoffs as the Steelers did this year. While both suffered letdowns, would they be better together? Perhaps more simply, is Sam Darnold the Steelers’ best, or least-bad, option at quarterback? The team ostensibly intends to overturn every stone to look for answers this offseason, including free agency.
Besides the Steelers’ own Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, Sam Darnold is the biggest name in the quarterback market. That market will eventually include Kirk Cousins and possibly Aaron Rodgers, too, but neither Cousins nor Rodgers looked particularly spry last season.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin sure loves pedigree and isn’t afraid of a reclamation project. That’s partly what Justin Fields is as a former 11th-overall pick, though they didn’t add him as an immediate starter. If the Steelers were to sign Sam Darnold, it would be because they intend him to start at least 17 games plus a playoff run.
Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract as a backup with the Vikings, while the Steelers signed Wilson for peanuts. Again, they both got just as far, though that might only be because Darnold played in a tougher division. If they earned the first-round bye and home-field advantage, who knows?
In all, Darnold went 14-3 this season. He was 361-for-545 passing for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. It was comfortably the best season of his career, but he had a Steelers-like finish. In the season finale to determine the division, he completed just 44 percent of his passes and did not throw a touchdown. He wasn’t much better in their playoff loss.
But there is no question Darnold had a better season than Wilson or Fields did for the Steelers. Depending on the asking price, how seriously should they look at him as an alternative to running it back? They can hardly be convinced of their ability to win a Super Bowl based on what they had last year. And realistically speaking, Darnold might be their best chance for 2025 to upgrade the position.
The Steelers’ 2024 season has come to its predictably inauspicious end, with yet another one-and-done postseason for HC Mike Tomlin. The offense faltered, and the defensed matched it blow for blow, leading to a 21-0 first-half deficit.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. Do they still believe in Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields, or do they want another solution? There are other major decisions to make, as well, such as what to do with George Pickens. Do you sign him to an extension, try to trade him, or let him play out his rookie contract?
The Steelers started the 2024 season 10-3, with Mike Tomlin in the Coach of the Year conversation. Wash, rinse, and repeat, and we have another late-season collapse. This may be the worst yet, a four-game losing streak presaging a one-and-done playoff “run”. Welcome to Steelers football.
