The Pittsburgh Steelers have been connected to any and every quarterback this offseason. Such is life when you’re a big-name team without a starter. Pittsburgh still has just one quarterback under contract, Skylar Thompson, who wasn’t on the roster in 2024 and inked a Reserve/Future deal shortly after the season ended. Currently, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and even third-stringer Kyle Allen are pending free agents.
Here, I’m giving my take on the pros and cons for each conceivable option who could start for the Steelers in 2025. There’s no official order, but they’re generally ranked from most probable to least likely.
Justin Fields
Pros: Younger, cheaper, more athletic, and progressing in 2025…remind me why there is a discussion again? Fields made strides in six starts, and even if Pittsburgh put up the bumpers in the bowling alley, that was the offense. He played within structure and took better care of the ball, and the Steelers went 4-2 under him.
His top-end athleticism forces defenses to account for him in the running game, opening up another element of the offense. He led the team for most of the year with five rushing scores. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith seems to be a fan, and Fields is mature and a team player. A year going all-in on investing in him could bring greater dividends. And if it doesn’t work out, the Steelers won’t be weighed down by an anchor of a contract that’ll eat massive amounts of dead money and cap space.
Cons: Fields may have won in Pittsburgh, but the model didn’t change. In six starts, he threw five touchdowns, and Pittsburgh averaged 20.7 points per game. Their 32-point outburst against the Las Vegas Raiders was Fields’ worst game of the year. Put Kenny Pickett in the lineup with those numbers, and fans would have the torches out.
Don’t forget Fields had his issues, too. With him, the Steelers were completely ineffective running play-action, central to Arthur Smith’s offense, and a switch that flipped the moment Russell Wilson took over.
Fields may have potential but he’s entering his fifth NFL season. How much more will he truly grow? If Pittsburgh wants to win now and squeeze everything out of their aging defense, Fields isn’t taking this team on a deep run.
My Personal Interest Level: 7/10
Russell Wilson
Pros: For a moment, Wilson proved he could do what no quarterback has done since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Elevate the offense into something formidable. Over his first seven starts, Wilson took the baton from Justin Fields and kept Pittsburgh in the win column while the offense averaged 27.6 points per game. Physically, Wilson still has a live arm that’s shown no drop-off, and he has veteran intangibles in cadence and command.
The end of the season was a disaster, but not entirely Wilson’s fault. The offensive line waned, the run game shriveled up, and, in fairness, that schedule was a brutal gauntlet. A second year of continuity with OC Arthur Smith could open up the offense and ease any reported tension between the two.
Cons: Or the second season could be just as tense. It’s hard to justify re-signing Wilson for what will be decent money after losing five straight games as the offense bottomed out to one of its worst stretches over the last 50 years, held under 18 points in each game.
As Wilson ages, his mobility will further decline, and he could become Ben Roethlisberger 2.0—an old man no longer able to move and navigate the pocket. Worse, Wilson still plays like he’s 25 and can run around for days, putting himself in harm’s way by bailing on pockets and taking bad sacks.
Wilson isn’t a strong enough option to make Pittsburgh a contender, and there’s no long-term vision with him, either. So, what is the team gaining by signing him? That’s the difficult question to answer. And if he’s just a bridge quarterback biding time for someone younger, why not re-sign Justin Fields?
My Personal Interest Level: 4/10
Matthew Stafford
Pros: There’s no more talented or better “win now” quarterback (potentially) available than Stafford. Still going strong, he’d be Pittsburgh’s best quarterback since probably 2018, before Ben Roethlisberger began regressing. Adding Stafford would firmly place the Steelers in playoff contenders and give the franchise great odds of breaking their ugly eight-season postseason drought.
While older and less mobile, he’s durable and still shows a strong arm. He doesn’t get sacked, doesn’t rack up negative plays, and is 2025’s best bet to compete in an AFC with some of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. And he might be playing for more than one season, too.
Cons: Is he even available? Los Angeles doesn’t have much incentive to trade him. The biggest hang-up is the contract. If the Rams, an NFC contender, decide they’d rather trade him than pay him, what message does that send Pittsburgh? Stafford would be the most talented option of the lot, but is he better than Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, or Joe Burrow? Adding Stafford might net a playoff win, but the Steelers need to chase Super Bowl glory. All this might do is lengthen the team’s purgatory and hand over draft capital that could be used to acquire a long-term option in 2026.
And if Stafford takes a year-to-year approach, a real possibility for someone who just turned 37 with a long career, Pittsburgh’s window to win will be short.
My Personal Interest Level: 5/10
Aaron Rodgers
Pros: Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers. In the words of Avril Lavigne, can I make it any more obvious? Both men have shown respect for each other and Tomlin could handle the drama and noise associated with Rodgers better than most coaches. Rodgers is in the twilight of his career, but he can still play. Watch the four touchdowns he threw against Miami in the 2024 regular season finale and tell me this dude still can’t throw a couple of punches. And what if WR Davante Adams follows him to Pittsburgh?
Rodgers can’t expect a long-term commitment or big-money deal. Pittsburgh can get him on the cheap while still eyeing a quarterback in the draft. Rodgers dealt with Jordan Love in Green Bay; he can certainly handle the Steelers’ search for his replacement now.
Cons: A 41-year-old quarterback who looks completely broken down and probably won’t play past 2025. Where do I hop out of line? Rodgers might still have an arm, but his knees are shot, and he tore his Achilles in 2023. The Steelers aren’t getting anything more than a bridge quarterback, and this one has plenty of potholes.
Arthur Smith’s under-center, play-action, boot-heavy offense doesn’t fit where Rodgers is at in his career. And certainly, no one will worry about him in the run game.
Is it worth bringing the circus into town for the same result? Like Rodgers or not, he’s always a story locally and nationally. His alpha personality could clash with Smith and certainly with WR George Pickens, while young receivers rarely have success with the high-standard Rodgers.
The juice just isn’t worth the squeeze for a middling season. All signing Rodgers does is leave Pittsburgh looking for a quarterback in 2026. Again. That’s a ride the Steelers must get off.
My Personal Interest Level: 2/10
Kirk Cousins
Pros: Well…he’s cheap. In an offseason with no slam-dunk moves, spending the least amount of money possible is attractive. Pittsburgh could go down the same road with Cousins as they did with Russell Wilson. Let the Atlanta Falcons release him, sign him to the minimum with the Falcons on the hook for the rest of his salary, and use the season to evaluate.
Perhaps an in-season arm/shoulder injury was the driving reason why Cousins struggled so much in Atlanta. He seems to be a solid teammate who did get Atlanta off to a 6-3 start before the wheels fell off.
Cons: Little explanation should be required here. Cousins looked totally broken in 2024, and there’s a reason why the Falcons are quickly saying deuces. He might be the NFL’s least mobile quarterback, which goes against everything Mike Tomlin has said positively about mobility over the last three years. He gets Pittsburgh no closer to the goal unless that goal is to tank.
It would be the least exciting quarterback move the Steelers could make, and the team is probably starting his backup by Thanksgiving.
My Personal Interest Level: -714/10
Day One Rookie Quarterbacks
Pros: The 2025 NFL Draft class lacks the wealth of first-round arms that 2024 provided, but it’s not completely empty of them. It’s miles better than the 2022 crop that saw just one quarterback taken within the first 70 picks, with Pittsburgh selecting Kenny Pickett. A Super Bowl winner.*
The commonality for most competitive teams is homegrown, first-round arms. Yes, Jalen Hurts was a second-round pick, but Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, C.J. Stroud, Jayden Daniels, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, and Jordan Love, all those franchise names were Thursday night picks.
Pittsburgh can’t wallow in the excuse of picking too low. It didn’t stop the Chiefs from landing Mahomes, the Bills nabbing Allen, or the Ravens taking Jackson. With EDGE Abdul Carter and WR/CB Travis Hunter possibly going before Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, there could be a lane for Pittsburgh to trade up. And what if Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart blows away the franchise in meetings?
Sure, it’ll cost a lot, and there’s no refund policy. But there’s no price that’s “too much” to pay for a franchise quarterback.
*Terms and Conditions Apply: May not happen in your city.
Cons: There might be a time for Pittsburgh to make that type of aggressive move. 2025 isn’t it. If quarterback-needy teams like the Titans, Browns, and Giants pass on these guys, that’s a giant hint they’re not the answer. And there’s no question a Big-Boy trade into, say, the top 5 will empty the Steelers’ draft pick coffers, making it hard to address other needs. It’s better to wait it out and see what the 2026 class has to offer.
My Personal Interest Level: 4/10
Day Two Rookie Quarterbacks
Pros: This class has respectable depth. Flavors may vary, but Ohio State’s Will Howard, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, and perhaps Dart will be in the Friday night mix (Dart’s draft stock is difficult to get a read on). It’s a middle ground of not making a massive first-round investment, but like a fine wine, a second-round pick could pair nicely with the re-signing of Fields. That would give Pittsburgh multiple options to evaluate, casting a wider net to find their future.
I’m partial to Howard and generally disagree with the second—or third-round quarterback, but even I can see the value in selecting him. Picking a guy from this litter wouldn’t prevent Pittsburgh from taking a big first-round swing next year, either.
Cons: Meh. That’s the vibe of taking a Day 2 quarterback. Throwing a lot at the wall and hoping it sticks is hardly a winning formula. If these second and third-round guys were so good, why aren’t they round-one players in a relatively weak class?
They all have their flaws. Howard had a great supporting cast, Milroe has major accuracy problems, and the last time McCord stepped into Acrisure Stadium, he threw five picks. It’s another middle-of-the-road option that would match this franchise’s direction.
My Personal Interest Level: 3/10
Jameis Winston
Pros: It’d be fun, wouldn’t it? Maybe in a “take a bunch of Molly and see what happens” kind of sense. Winston’s arm talent still impresses, and he can legitimately wow with the best of them. He’s developed into a cult hero with a big personality, and teammates rally around him. As a true one-year stop-gap, why not take the chance? And perhaps Arthur Smith can coach Winston to make smarter decisions as Fields did in 2024. Winston acknowledged that he has to cut down on his mistakes and that if his future prayers are more specific, maybe it’ll happen.
Cons: Tigers don’t change their stripes. Winston lives and dies by the sword, and that’s not changing. Pittsburgh has won the past three seasons because it doesn’t turn the football over. Since 2022, the Steelers’ 52 turnovers are the third-fewest in football, only trailing the Baltimore Ravens (51) and Los Angeles Chargers (49).
The formula is pretty simple. Protect the football = win. Give the football away = lose.
Since being drafted in 2015, Winston’s 111 interceptions have been the fourth-most in football, and he’s spent literal full seasons glued to the bench. Sure, he’ll make big plays. You just never know if it’s for your offense or their defense.
My Personal Interest Level: 1/10
Reclamation Project
Pros: This would consist of any veteran quarterback once considered the next big thing. Daniel Jones, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, you get the idea. Truthfully, it’s hard to make a case for any name like that for the next Steelers’ starting quarterback. But they’d be cheap and mobile, and if Pittsburgh can invest heavily in their defense and develop the o-line, maybe Mike Tomlin can win nine games no matter who is under center.
The Steelers would become Spirit Airlines. It’s cheap, and it’ll get you there, but the ride is gonna suck. Still, the Steelers could hold their breath in 2025, and who knows, maybe a fresh start is what one of those guys needs (ignoring the fresh starts they’ve already gotten). The next Baker Mayfield, come on down.
Cons: The move would feel pointless and definitely more of a fit for a No. 2 than competing for a starting role. Sign Fields and add Wilson or Lance on a cheap contract? Ok, I can get that. But anything else is grasping at straws and could be the reason for Mike Tomlin’s first losing season. Some would say an acceleration theory of getting Tomlin fired and a top 10 pick is a good thing, so perhaps if you’re cynical enough, you can put this in the ‘Pro’ column.
My Personal Interest Level: 1/10
