Will it be Justin Fields or Russell Wilson? Maybe Aaron Rodgers? What about Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite a few options at the quarterback position this offseason, though not many of them are all that enticing. That alone could lead them back to working with a quarterback they already know, whether that’s Fields or Wilson.
For The Athletic’s Mike Jones, in a Thursday morning piece highlighting one key target for all 32 teams, he predicted that the Steelers will sign Fields over Wilson and the other options available because of his room for growth.
“The Steelers used 2024 as an experimental season at quarterback, adding both Russell Wilson and Fields. Now both will become free agents. The Steelers should bring Fields back,” Jones writes. “Is he a finished product? Not at all. But he’s only 26, showed promise and will only ascend given another year working with Arthur Smith and in a system designed specifically for his strengths.
“Could the Steelers give Aaron Rodgers a shot? Sure. Could they try another experimental quarterback like Daniel Jones? Sure. But the upside with Fields is far higher.”
The 2024 season was an experimental one for the Steelers, particularly at quarterback. They intended to start Russell Wilson, but a calf injury he sustained in training camp threw that plan for a loop, leading to Fields starting the first six games of the season.
Fields went 4-2 and showed improvement as both a passer and as a runner. But once Wilson was healthy, the Steelers — particularly Tomlin — benched him for Wilson. Tomlin admittedly went “lone ranger” as the many within the Steelers wanted to stick with Fields. But that move was made, and Fields never really saw the field much after that.
Right now, though, even with that small six-game sample size, Fields is seemingly in the driver’s seat when it comes to interest from the Steelers.
Fields has been the popular choice among media members and the fan base when it comes down to him or Wilson. Fields is just 26 years old and showed some growth at the position last season. In those six starts, Fields took care of the football, throwing just one interception. He added five touchdown passes and had another five rushing touchdowns, giving the Steelers a significant boost in the red zone.
But there were some concerns about his inability to push the ball down the field, and he struggled at times with pre-snap reads. When Tomlin made the change, he stated he felt there was more within the offense and wanted to see what Wilson could do. At times, the Steelers looked great with Wilson. But they lost five straight games to close the season, and now the Steelers are in a difficult spot at the QB position.
Based on everything being reported, though, Fields is the Steelers’ preference. We’ll see if the two sides can get a deal done to keep Fields in the Steel City.
