The Pittsburgh Steelers will once again enter the offseason with uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position. Just a month ago, it seemed like a sure thing that the Steelers would re-sign Russell Wilson. The 36-year-old quarterback had the offense humming with a rejuvenated passing game and a 6-1 record in his first seven games as the starter. Then the Steelers dropped four straight games to end the regular season, and the offense looks completely broken.
Now Russell Wilson’s future with the Steelers is in question, and it’s unclear whether Wilson, Justin Fields, or someone else will start for Pittsburgh to open the 2025 season.
Monday on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Cowherd broke down Steelers’ quarterback situation, declaring that the solution to their problems at the position is “not in the building.”
“There are 14 teams in the playoffs. Thirteen have a better quarterback situation than the Steelers,” Cowherd said. “I think it’s fair to start asking questions. And Mike Tomlin, I mean I gave him credit. Justin Fields had a 4-2 record, and he replaced him and everybody thought he was wrong. But if we’re all being realistic here at quarterback for the Steelers, the answer is not in the building. It’s probably not in the building.”
Cowherd is notorious for delivering hot takes, but he’s probably right that the 13 other playoff teams have a better quarterback situation than the Steelers. Teams like the Broncos and Commanders have outstanding rookies. Others like the Packers and Chargers believe they have franchise guys. And still others like the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens have generational quarterbacks.
Since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement in 2021, the Steelers have gone down several different roads at quarterback. They signed Mitch Trubisky in the offseason after Roethlisberger’s retirement. That was a disaster. They selected Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 draft. He’s the backup quarterback for the Eagles now, so that obviously didn’t work out. Finally, general manager Omar Khan boldly acquired two potential starting quarterbacks this past offseason, signing Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields. They each started for portions of the season, and while the offense was better than in the last few years, the Steelers are still sitting at 10-7 as double-digit underdogs heading on the road for the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Wilson provided a spark for the offense at the midpoint of the season, but his subpar play over the last four weeks has led many to conclude he isn’t capable of leading a Super Bowl run at this stage of his career. Fields was fine in the first six weeks of the season, and he’s only 25, but it’s tough to imagine him competing with Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow in the AFC North anytime soon.
If Cowherd’s correct that the answer at quarterback is not in the building, then where can the Steelers turn for next season? The NFL draft is an option, but it’s unlikely they find a difference-making quarterback there considering they’ll be picking somewhere between 19-32 in the first round, and this quarterback class isn’t exactly brimming with talent. Plus, they’ve got other pressing needs to address early in the draft, like wide receiver. As for signing a free agent quarterback, the top names who will be free agents in 2025 are Sam Darnold, and, you guessed it, Russell Wilson. The Vikings should re-sign Darnold, who led them to an incredible 14-3 season, leaving the Steelers with few options outside the building.
If the Steelers lose to the Ravens on Saturday, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan will be in a difficult position this offseason regarding the quarterback position, as the Steelers’ quest for their first playoff win since 2016 continues.
