The Steelers don’t even have a full quarterback room, yet Mike Tomlin isn’t worried about yet another complete turnover. For the second straight season, the team is not bringing back a single arm from the previous year. That, its head coach suggested yesterday, isn’t a surprise, not a concern—but check back in a year from now.
“Oftentimes, I say ‘two is a pattern.’ It’s a cliche that I use in coaching, but I don’t know that I’m alarmed by that as it pertains to this discussion”, Tomlin said about the Steelers’ quarterback carousel yesterday, via transcript. “We’re just simply trying to put together the very best team that we can put together for 2025”.
“Last year”, Tomlin continued, the Steelers “had a group in that room that were on one-year deals, and so the possibility of what we’re doing right now was a real thing. But that’s just one isolated scenario. If we’re having similar conversations next year at this time, it’s probably more of a discussion for us”.
The Steelers entered last offseason with former first-round pick Kenny Pickett going into Year 3 of his rookie contract, likely set to bring back Mason Rudolph as well. Tomlin pivoted, pursuing Russell Wilson instead, Pickett subsequently requesting a trade. Because of Wilson’s contract offsets, it only made sense to do a one-year deal.
After Tomlin consented to trading Pickett, the Steelers then traded for Justin Fields for depth. Fields is also a former first-round pick but was in the final year of his deal. The Steelers could have exercised his fifth-year option, but that was a gamble that didn’t make sense at the time.
Outside of Wilson and Fields, the Steelers only had journeyman Kyle Allen in their quarterback room. All three only had contracts running through the 2024 season, and all three have signed elsewhere in 2025. Justin Fields signed with the Jets, Russell Wilson signed with the Giants, and Kyle Allen with the Lions.
Though Tomlin isn’t concerned about the delay, the Steelers are waiting on Aaron Rodgers’ decision. If he signs, he would obviously be their starter this year. They did bring back Mason Rudolph, and they also have Skylar Thompson under contract.
Rudolph signed a two-year deal, so at least he is under contract for 2026. That is a contrast to the situation the Steelers were in a year ago that Tomlin alluded to. And my guess is Rudolph won’t be demanding any trades a year from now, though you never know.
As Tomlin acknowledged, the Steelers did say entering their offseason that their preference was to bring back one of their primary quarterbacks from last season. Would they have pivoted from that plan once the Jets released Aaron Rodgers, though? They would have lost out on Fields for sure, even if they were willing to match the Jets’ guarantees.
