Justin Fields had an interesting 2024. He failed to develop into a franchise quarterback with the Chicago Bears, so they traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fields competed with Russell Wilson for the starting job, getting a ton of work because of an injury to the veteran quarterback. He started the first six games of the year, looking capable. Then, the Steelers surprised many people by giving the starting job to Wilson once he was healthy. Fields handled that situation like a pro, and according to Pete Prisco, people in the NFL took notice of that.
“I think he’s intriguing,” Prisco said Wednesday on CBS Sports HQ. “He’s only 26. The age is right. He’s also flashed last year at times when he played for the Steelers. I thought he did some really good things.
“When they put him in packages later in the season, he did some really good things. He never complained. He could’ve complained; he could’ve moaned and groaned about putting the old man in instead of letting him play quarterback, but he didn’t. A lot of people around the league I talked to were impressed by the way he handled the whole situation.”
Prisco is correct that Fields never complained. Even though he had the Steelers sitting at 4-2 and on top of the AFC North, the Steelers decided to go with Wilson. Although Wilson looked good in his first few starts, he quickly fizzled out. Looking back, it would’ve been interesting to see a full season of Fields in Pittsburgh.
There are also rumors that Fields has fans in the Steelers’ building. It’s easy to see why. He stepped up when Wilson was ruled out of Week 1 late. Even though it felt like Wilson was always in pole position of the quarterback battle, Fields never complained. He just did what he could to help the team win.
His attitude was admirable, and it sounds like other teams might have been just as impressed with Fields. While he is a young player, he seems incredibly mature. He’s still very talented, and while he might not be a franchise quarterback, Fields could be a decent starter.
While many conflicting reports have come out, it sounds like the Steelers will try to bring back Wilson or Fields. Of those two, Fields certainly seems like the more intriguing option for 2025. Wilson is past his prime, and while he flashed last year, he will probably only continue to decline. Meanwhile, Fields is extremely athletic, and there’s a chance he could still develop.
Whatever happens, it seems like Fields will have multiple suitors this offseason. Because he was just with them, the Steelers have good odds to land him. However, nothing is guaranteed. The Steelers don’t have many great options to upgrade at quarterback, so they might want to stick with Fields. He helped them win games last year. Maybe he can be better in 2025.
