For the second-straight season, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ words and their free agency actions failed to align. After the 2023 season, Mike Tomlin expressed confidence his 2024 quarterback was already on roster. By April, the entire quarterback room was turned over. After 2024, owner Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan were adamant about keeping one of Justin Fields or Russell Wilson. Both will be playing for new teams in 2025.
Speaking to reporters Sunday evening ahead of this year’s owner meetings, Tomlin acknowledged the team’s plan didn’t work out.
“I know what we said regarding Russell and Justin,” Tomlin said via The Trib’s Joe Rutter. “It didn’t pan out that way. Such is life in our game and particularly in free agency. We’re optimistic about the room we’re constructing.”
Per a team-issued transcript, here’s the full reply of Tomlin’s answer.
“Obviously, we’re still evaluating the acquisition of a guy at that position, whether it’s free agency and/or the draft, and so we’re doing our due diligence, communicating with some free agents, also preparing for the Draft. Omar [Khan] and I just got off on a nice tour here last week where we were at Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas, for example, our last three trips. I think all three of those institutions have quarterbacks that are Draft-eligible, and so it’s been a good process for us.
“I know what we said regarding Russell [Wilson] and Justin [Fields], but it didn’t pan out that way. Such is life in our game, and particularly in free agency, but we’re optimistic about the room that we’re constructing. Obviously, we’re excited about having Mason Rudolph back. Our knowledge of him [Mason Rudolph], not only as a player, but as a man, is exciting to have him back, and I know he’s excited to be back, but certainly we’re going to continue to explore a lot of options in terms of rounding that room out.”
Reportedly, the Steelers made a contract offer to Justin Fields but were out-bid by the New York Jets, inking him to a two-year, $40 million contract. Pittsburgh made a competitive but lesser offer with insider Aditi Kinkhabwala noting the Steelers’ proposal didn’t offer guaranteed money past the first year, something New York included in theirs.
Despite mentioning Wilson alongside Fields as someone the team desired to re-sign, Pittsburgh showed zero interest in actually doing so. Despite Wilson wanting to return to the Steelers rather than play for his third team in three years, Pittsburgh is waiting out Aaron Rodgers.
In the same media session with reporters, Tomlin made clear Rodgers doesn’t have a deadline to decide and ostensibly, the Steelers will give him all the team he needs.
Wilson took a one-year deal with the New York Giants. His only potential 2025 contribution is playing well-enough to max out his incentive-laden contract and produce a high Steelers’ compensatory pick for the 2026 NFL Draft.
No matter if Pittsburgh starts Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, or someone else, they’ll have started a different Week One quarterback in five-straight seasons. Researching that topic this weekend, it’s a scenario more teams than you’d think have found themselves in. But most of those teams have been among the NFL’s worst during that span: the 2013-2019 Cleveland Browns, the 2019-2023 Carolina Panthers, the 2004-2008 Oakland Raiders. Company Pittsburgh doesn’t want to keep. But company they have and a streak they could extend in 2026.
Because no matter who starts 2025, they’ll have reduced odds of starting 2026. And whatever the team says after the season can’t be trusted going forward.
