Stability at quarterback has been an issue for the Pittsburgh Steelers in recent years. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, they’ve cycled through multiple different signal callers. None of them have proved to be their next franchise guy. Despite that, it looks like the Steelers plan on bringing back Russell Wilson or Justin Fields to be their starter in 2025. With both players free agents, though, nothing is certain. Roethlisberger believes that uncertainty could scare off players from potentially signing with the Steelers.
“Potentially,” Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his podcast, Footbahlin’ with Ben Roethlisberger. “I think Coach Tomlin has always been the veteran selling point bringing free agents in. They wanna play for Tomlin, which will never change.
“But yes, there are definitely gonna be guys that are gonna question, ‘Well, what are y’all doing at quarterback?’ So, until that stability is answered, and even if it is answered, even if, right from the get-go, it’s ‘Okay, we’re going Fields, or we’re going Russ,’ whichever way it is, there are still gonna be guys like, ‘That style of player or that quarterback doesn’t fit what I want to do, so I’m not gonna come.'”
Roethlisberger is likely correct that the Steelers’ quarterback situation will weigh on the minds of free agents. They really need help at wide receiver, but pass catchers might be hesitant to sign in Pittsburgh if they don’t have a definite starting quarterback. In today’s NFL, it’s tough to win without a difference-maker under center.
That’s the risk with free agency, though. Historically, the Steelers don’t throw a ton of money at free agents, but that has changed slightly over recent years. Just last year, they handed Patrick Queen a huge deal. They could do something similar this year to fix some of their issues.
Quarterback might need to be the first domino that needs to fall for the Steelers, though. Not only is it the most important position in football, but it will give the Steelers a clearer direction. Wilson and Fields are very different players. It might be easier for free agents to sign with them if they understand what the Steelers’ offense is going to be.
However, the quarterback isn’t the only factor that will influence free agents. Like Roethlisberger says, Tomlin is usually the biggest selling point. Also, money talks, so a player might care less about the Steelers’ roster if they’re being well-compensated.
We’ll see how the Steelers attack free agency in a few weeks. They have more problems besides quarterback, so they should at least make some moves. Maybe they won’t make a massive move, but they could bolster their roster. Quarterback will likely be the most fascinating position to watch, though. If it isn’t Wilson or Fields, things could get interesting for the Steelers.
