The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of directions they can take their quarterback room this offseason, but the team prefers to bring back one of Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. Former Steelers OT Willie Colon believes that the team should re-sign Fields, and that he’s the Steelers’ best option going forward. Colon also threw cold water on the idea that the Steelers should sign Sam Darnold, which his Breakfast Ball co-host Craig Carton pushed for on the show this morning.
“You want me to buy into Sam Darnold? The Vikings haven’t bought into him. That’s why he’s hitting the free agency market,” Colon said. “If you’re asking me what’s best for the Pittsburgh Steelers right now, Justin Fields.”
Fields started the first six games for Pittsburgh last season while Russell Wilson recovered from his calf injury, and while he might not be the most polished option available, Fields’ upside is the highest out of Pittsburgh’s realistic quarterback options. He showed growth as a decision maker with the Steelers, and another year in Arthur Smith’s system could be beneficial for his growth and development.
He’s not going to get a contract that makes him a franchise quarterback, but at the very least, Fields has proven he can win and be a solid bridge quarterback for the Steelers. Signing Darnold to a big contract and committing to him after he struggled down the stretch for the Vikings would be a questionable decision. And while signing Wilson would be fine, the Steelers saw how things played out when teams were able to limit his deep ball.
Options outside of that are bleak, and Fields makes the most sense as Pittsburgh’s starter, and he’s reportedly the team’s priority to sign. Signing one of Fields or Wilson is something that the Steelers will look to get done this week ahead of the legal tampering period beginning on Monday, and staying in-house to sign their quarterback makes more sense than restarting with someone new for the second year in a row.
With the flashes Justin Fields showed last season and Wilson failing to win a playoff game and really struggling over Pittsburgh’s final five games, bringing him back sounds like the goal. If the Steelers are unable to do so, their quarterback situation could wind up looking even worse than it did last year.
