The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly have yet to choose between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, with reports running rampant both ways. There are arguments for and against either candidate—and not just for Pittsburgh.
While people expect Russell Wilson to command a larger salary, the belief appears to be that Justin Fields, the younger player with higher upside, could actually attract more suitors. That’s how Steelers beat writer Brian Batko assesses the situation, who, like most, favors re-signing Fields.
“I think he’ll have more suitors based on the way his stint as a starter ended six games in”, Batko said of Fields on 93.7 The Fan, who started the Steelers’ first six games due to injury to Wilson. “He vanished from the public eye for the most part”. That was, of course, because Wilson was starting, Fields seeing sporadic sub-package work.
“Maybe the market gets artificially reinflated for [Justin Fields] by virtue of not screwing it up down the stretch the way Russell Wilson did because he was on the field”, he continued. “He’s younger, QB mobility. People have drawn a lot of conclusions from watching the Super Bowl about the trenches and getting the QB situation right because Jalen Hurts played so well”.
In one sense, Mike Tomlin sitting him down could be the best thing to have happened to Fields. We won’t know until, at least, next season, if even then. He was on an upward trajectory at the time the Steelers sat him, but what would he have looked like later? Would he have fared much better than Wilson against the Eagles and Chiefs?
A fourth-year former 11th-overall pick, Justin Fields had a rough go of it with the Bears. In 2024 with the Steelers, he went 4-2 as a starter, going 106-of-161 for 1,106 yards with 5 touchdowns to 1 interception. He also rushed for five touchdowns with 289 rushing yards. The Steelers finished 6-5 with Russell Wilson, dropping their last four games of the regular season.
But if the Steelers don’t figure something out both Wilson and Fields will be free agents in March. For as much as Steelers fans may lament their options, other teams may impinge upon even their meager choices. Fields didn’t have much of a market last year, but it wasn’t nothing. The Bears reportedly turned down a better offer than what the Steelers gave. And Fields looked more formidable and competent last season, so that would only aid his stock.
What happens if the Steelers don’t work out a deal with Justin Fields by the time free agency starts and another team outbids them? While he said that he would like to return to the Steelers, money tends to talk.
Personally, I don’t know that I find this to be much of an issue. One thing the Steelers have always done is pay their own players. Justin Fields is now one of the Steelers’ players, and if he is their quarterback, why wouldn’t they offer as much as any other team would? Unless another team puts forth a truly absurd offer, I suspect this will not matter.
