The Pittsburgh Steelers still have very little public movement on the quarterback decision between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. Though some reports claim that Fields is the preferred option, I think that comes down to the willingness on the end of both quarterbacks and how much money they are looking for.
I don’t think the Steelers are likely to overpay for either QB given Omar Khan’s history as a shrewd negotiator, but a market seems to have formed for the services of both quarterbacks, and it could be difficult to stick to the budget.
SI.com’s Albert Breer gave his guess for Fields’ contract size this morning in a 2026 QB draft class preview.
“Speaking of the Steelers, this is, of course, a big week for Pittsburgh to try and get Justin Fields re-signed. He’ll have options elsewhere,” Breer wrote. “One team would be the New York Jets, and I wouldn’t be stunned to see Indy throw its hat in the ring—if he gets to the market.
“I think he has a shot to get a deal like Sam Darnold got with the Minnesota Vikings last year.”
To me, their situations don’t feel very similar. Darnold had started seven games over the previous two seasons combined prior to signing his one-year, $10 million deal with the Vikings. And his last stint as a full-time starter didn’t go so well with a 4-7 record and 13 INTs to just 9 TDs in Carolina.
Fields only started six games last year, but he managed to go 4-2 and improve in virtually every category as a passer compared to his first three years in Chicago.
If you look at the quarterback market from 2024, Darnold was even below Gardner Minshew II, who had an average per season of $12.5 million. Other than that, the lowest starting QB contract is Geno Smith at $25 million per season, and that deal was signed before the salary cap took significant leaps over the last couple offseasons.
I wouldn’t imagine Fields approaches Smith’s contract, but I would also be surprised if it came in as low as Darnold’s 2024 deal at $10 million. If the various reports linking him to four or five total teams (including the Steelers) are correct, then the money will almost certainly come in higher than expected. If he’d accept Sam Darnold money, I don’t think this saga would still be ongoing. That seems like an easy decision in Pittsburgh compared to what Wilson may be looking for.
