The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing a lot of scrutiny this offseason. That’s to be expected after they lost their final five games. While people clamor for change at the coaching level, the biggest on-field question is who will play quarterback? Will the Steelers re-sign either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields?
Or will the Steelers go in a completely different direction? Well, one NFL.com writer thinks that Justin Fields should go in a different direction. Nick Shook wrote an article profiling five quarterbacks who need a fresh start in 2025, and Fields made the list. Shook expects that the Steelers will value Wilson’s production earlier in the season, hence Fields’ inclusion.
“Frankly, he deserves a chance to battle for a starting job,” wrote Shook. “Yes, the Steelers had a lower ceiling with him in the lineup, but he won four of his six starts and did an excellent job of keeping them afloat. He has a skill set that just might be good enough to work somewhere, but it has to be the right fit, requiring an experienced and versatile coordinator, a reliable offensive line, and a willingness to cater to his strengths. That should narrow his options, but he’s simply too gifted to overlook.”
Shook thinks Fields deserves an honest shot at earning a starting spot in the NFL. That’s not something he got in 2024 with the Steelers. He did start, yes, but that was simply because Wilson was injured. He completed a career-high 65.8 percent of his passes. He also only threw one interception all year.
Will more teams show interest in Fields this offseason if he doesn’t re-sign in Pittsburgh? Evidently, the Steelers did not have a problem acquiring him cheaply from the Chicago Bears last offseason. He simply wasn’t in high demand. However, perhaps the growth he showed in Pittsburgh will ignite more interest in Fields as a free agent.
Does that mean that Justin Fields can’t battle to start in Pittsburgh next season? If the Steelers elect to keep only one of their 2024 starting quarterbacks and go with Fields, wouldn’t that almost equal a fresh start? Obviously, signing a veteran free-agent quarterback would change that equation, but the likelihood of that is slim.
Insider Mark Kaboly believes the Steelers would rather keep Justin Fields over Russell Wilson for 2025. If that happens, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith (and especially head coach Mike Tomlin) needs to lean into Fields’ strengths, as Shook says. The Steelers allowed Fields to use his legs in 2025. But Smith and Tomlin also need to let him play quarterback. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Fields completed a season-high 78.1 percent of his passes against the Los Angeles Chargers when he attempted 32 passes. And the Chargers’ defense is no slouch.
But Justin Fields will only get a fresh start in Pittsburgh if the Steelers genuinely commit to finding out if he’s the real deal.
