As the NFL calendar barrels towards the start of the new league year next week, things should start to heat up regarding free agents for the Pittsburgh Steelers, specifically quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.
Most of the reports indicate that Fields is the frontrunner to get a new contract with the Steelers, as Pittsburgh reportedly wants to move forward with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft under center, while the expectation from NFL insiders is that Wilson will sign elsewhere.
But as the days drag on and the calendar gets closer to the start of a new league year and an open market, concerns grow for Fields’ future in Pittsburgh.
For former NFL agent and current CBS Sports analyst Joel Corry, the deal he predicts Fields to sign for is a very affordable one. In a piece for CBSSports.com, Corry projected a one-year, $12.5 million deal for Fields, one that guarantees him $12.5 million at signing and could reach $15 million in total with incentives.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers went 4-2 during Justin Fields’ six starts at the beginning of the 2024 season because of Russell Wilson’s calf injury. Fields threw for 1,106 yards with five touchdowns and one interception while completing 66.3% of his passes (106 of 160 attempts) for a 93.9 passer rating,” Corry writes regarding Fields’ projected contract. “Fields, 2021’s 11th overall pick, also used his legs by gaining 231 yards on the ground in 55 carries and scoring five times. Fields’ plan should be to find the best opportunity to be a starting quarterback, just like [Sam] Darnold did in free agency last year.
“Darnold signing a one-year, $10 million deal with the Vikings is going to pay big dividends for him.”
Corry’s prediction is a bit similar to the one Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer had recently, comparing a possible Fields deal to the one that Sam Darnold signed last offseason with the Minnesota Vikings. That turned out to be a significant bargain for the Vikings while Darnold should parlay a strong 2024 season into a potentially huge contract this offseason.
Coming out of the 2024 season in which Fields started six games, showed some signs of improvement with ball security and decision-making, his projected contract was around two years and $25-30 million, so Corry’s prediction is right in line with that, albeit just a one-year deal.
The Steelers could want to make sure they have Fields under contract for 2026 too, just to be safe if he lights it up as the full-time starter. But at $12.5 million for the 2025 season, plus incentives, that would be a heck of a bargain for the Steelers should they lock up Fields’ services.
He might not be the true needle mover that the Steelers ultimately envision at the most important position in all of sports but having that type of talent at quarterback with his dual-threat capabilities and his fit within Arthur Smith’s scheme, that’s an easy contract to sign off on.
Along with Fields, Corry predicted at three-year, $30 million deal for running back Najee Harris. Corry has Harris receiving $21 million in guarantees and $15 million guaranteed at signing.
After the Steelers declined the fifth-year option on Harris and saw him rush for 1,000 yards for the fourth-straight season, it seems like Pittsburgh is all but set to let him walk. Still, there has been reports that the Steelers had talks with his representative at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and that head coach Mike Tomlin might have an influence in Harris returning.
But $30 million across three seasons is a hefty price tag for a running back like Harris, who is a plodder and doesn’t bring much explosiveness to an offense that desperately needs it.
