With this week apparently serving as the time for the Pittsburgh Steelers to chart their 2025 offseason plan, gathering together in Pittsburgh to determine who they intend to re-sign and who they intend to let walk, there’s still a part of the organization hoping Fields remains. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler offered an update of the situation during a Thursday edition of SportsCenter.
“I know that there is some internal optimism or some sentiment for Justin Fields as an option as their quarterback moving forward,” Fowler said. “And that both sides are open to a potential deal.”
Most of the buzz this offseason has pointed in Fields’ direction. However, that’s largely been speculation and the belief Pittsburgh would choose the younger quarterback who fared well in his six 2024 starts before being replaced by Russell Wilson.
While Fowler’s reporting isn’t ironclad, and he notes it’s early in the process, the update late during the week is worth sharing. As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pointed out in a recent Gerry Dulac column, the brass planned to meet throughout the week ahead of the Combine to figure out which quarterback they’ll first try to retain. GM Omar Khan wasn’t even spotted at the HBCU Combine, an event he had attended annually, presumably because he remained in Pittsburgh to help sort things out.
Fields is considered one of the top pending free agent quarterbacks in a weak crop of veterans and rookies. It could inflate his value, supply and demand is the name of the NFL game, and a contract could prove tricky. Fields’ market value isn’t clear considering he spent the majority of 2024 as a backup.
Fowler also made clear nothing is final. He noted the rest of the league has more interest in Fields this year than last and that he is viewed as the second-best free agent passer behind the Minnesota Vikings’ Sam Darnold. Fowler also added the Steelers are looking at all options. Internal and external.
“There are even some whispers around the league that maybe they’ll look broader at all the quarterbacks that are available that they feel that they can help them,” he said. “Not just Fields or Wilson.”
It’s difficult to say if they’d look in a starter capacity or backup. Even if the Steelers re-sign one of the two, they’ll need a No. 2 and will likely look toward the veteran market.
Nothing is done until it’s done. The Steelers still don’t have any of their 2024 quarterbacks under contract for 2025. But that could change in the coming weeks and right now, Fields seems to hold the edge over Wilson.
