This won’t be a popular post. And I know it’s still very possible that Justin Fields will return as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2025. But even if the Steelers want him back, they could strike out. It won’t be hard to understand why.
When it comes to re-signing Fields, we know a couple things:
1. The Steelers want a multi-year deal.
2. Fields isn’t going to get huge money.
We know the first part because the Steelers said so. At the NFL Combine, general manager Omar Khan said as much while meeting the local Steelers’ media, including our Joe Clark.
“In a perfect scenario, you’d like to have that security,” Khan said when asked if he wanted a quarterback back on a multi-year contract.
And it makes sense. Pittsburgh’s gone through an unusual situation of playing out a season where none of their three quarterbacks, Russell Wilson, Kyle Allen, or Justin Fields, were signed past 2024. It’s given them a lack of clarity days away from free agency, and they are unable to answer the biggest question in sports: who is your quarterback? They don’t want to risk going down that road next offseason even if they draft a later-round rookie or have a third-stringer under contract. They want a starter or potential starter as an option instead of dealing with the same anxiety.
Determining his market value is tricky, but Fields won’t command top dollar. It’s a weak veteran and rookie class, two aspects that boost his value. He also showed improvement in six starts with Pittsburgh, and his market seems more robust than a year ago when no team, including Pittsburgh, viewed him as a starter. Still, there’s no Sam Darnold deal coming. Fields must start an entire season to earn that kind of money. Projections from smart people like Joel Corry put Fields in a one-year, $12.5-15 million range.
And that’s where the issue rears its ugly head. The Steelers want multiple years. Fields has every incentive to sign just a one-year contract. Play well, prove himself, and cash in during the 2026 offseason. Those are two wishes locking horns.
What’s the value of Fields signing a two-year, $25 million deal with Pittsburgh? If he plays poorly, he still could get cut. If he plays well, he’s now well below market value and stuck. Sure, he can leverage his way to a long-term deal, but he doesn’t have the control he would have as a pending free agent. Teams can always threaten franchise tag but are hesitant to do so, knowing the massive amount of cap space they chew up, more than any other position. Since being introduced in 1993, quarterbacks have only been tagged six times.
That’s the rub. Could the Steelers push for a two-year deal with Justin Fields, only willing to accept one? There’s no way to meet in the middle. Fields could hit free agency and find a team willing to give him a one-year deal. Someone will be, especially in this desperate quarterback market where teams are willing to give a one-year flier. If it doesn’t work out, 2026 will provide a larger pool of options.
Russell Wilson? He wants a long-term deal and is on record wanting to play into his 40s. He doesn’t have many bites left at the apple. He’s done the year-to-year, my-future-is-uncertain dance. It’s not fun. He’s got a wife and kids. They want to feel at least like they can settle down in an area and call a place like Pittsburgh home. There wouldn’t be an issue over contract length the way there could be with Fields. I truly believe Pittsburgh wants to re-sign one of their own. They don’t want to start over with an outside veteran.
This leaves Wilson as the sole alternative. His play was good-enough for the team to spin why he was their choice, even if he was nothing more than a backup plan.
I’m not saying this will happen. But it seems reasonable. Maybe Fields would be willing to go two years. There is security in that. Perhaps Pittsburgh will be willing to roll with a one-year deal if it means keeping Fields in Pittsburgh. But if you want to create the reason why a deal might not happen, even if Fields is the Steelers’ first stop, this is as sensible a case as any.
