Pittsburgh Steelers brass reportedly split on QB in 2025
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation is certainly the talk of the town this offseason as the team tries their best to decide what direction they want to go in 2025, and beyond. After the rumors of a potential trade for Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars have died down, there are now reports coming out of the Steelers organization about how the team feels about the two potential options at the position who were on the roster in 2024.
Yes, between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
In a recent article from Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dulac said there is a “split” internally on which quarterback they want to retain.
“Of course, no decision is more significant than deciding which quarterback — Wilson or Fields — they want to retain in 2025. It is a split decision internally, kind of like it was in 2021 when the Steelers were deciding if they wanted to bring back Ben Roethlisberger for his 18th and final season, which they eventually did.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard there is internal disagreement on the quarterback situation. It was rumored and reported last season there were several coaches and front office personnel who didn’t want the Steelers to move on from Fields after he was able to lead the team to a 4-2 record in 2024.
Those same people are probably the ones who are pulling hard to get Fields back in 2025, while those who wanted to turn to Wilson in 2024 are also pulling to keep him next season.
Is there a difference in the two? Is there a difference between Fields and Wilson?
Some would say the end result, as in record last season, would be nearly the same if Fields remained at quarterback for the entirety of last season. However, what most people would suggest is vastly different between the two is their overall asking price. How Wilson views his price compared to Fields, two quarterbacks at almost completely different ends of the career spectrum, will likely be vastly different.
So, it would only make sense to view this situation based on who you think would help the team win more games. If the Steelers can win the same amount of games with Fields as Wilson, why not go with the cheaper option and make the rest of the roster stronger? But if you feel Wilson is by far superior, that could lead to justifying paying more for his services.
If the Steelers want to have a quarterback locked up before the start of free agency, the clock is officially ticking on that to get done. If they want until the open market can all start bidding on these players, they could find themselves either over-paying or being the one left without a seat when the music stops playing.
Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the start of free agency in the beginning of March.
I look at this as we are standing in front of 2 boxes.
Box 1 has $1,000 minimum but a 10 percent chance at $25,000
Box 2 has a chance of $0, but a 5 percent chance at $100,000.
Box 1 is Russell Wilson, box 2 is Justin Fields.
I think Wilson is the safer play in 2025, but at the end of the day what does the slightly higher floor bring, compared to the drastically lower ceiling? Maybe with a revamped WR room and a new schematically-compatible RB changes what Wilson can do, since he did look great early on. But at the end of the day I think we’re looking at another first round exit and we’re right back where we’ve been since Ben left.
I just see Fields and his athleticism, the cheaper contract, the age, etc. This all has the potential to be the franchise guy. At the end of the day I don’t think he will be the franchise guy, but I would rather take a big swing and miss on a lower risk high reward qb than play it safer with a guy who’s play is more than likely only declining. I love the fact that Fields got to sit behind a great hof qb like Wilson who knows how to be an NFL qb. I would love to see what Arthur Smith can scheme up with a guy like Fields.
In the end, it’s Tomlin’s call. I do think Wilson is a better qb at the moment, at least as of last year, but there is so much about Fields that can be “unlocked” which is worth the risk in my opinion.
To me, it comes down to two things:
Cost and upside
Fields should be cheaper and also offer more upside with an entire offseason to prepare a plan for his athleticism. For what Wilson could bring in upside, I don’t think it is that much higher than Fields, and at what cost?
I totally agree. And after listening to Coach’s podcast both with you (Whip Around) and the Call Sheet, I honestly think Fields would offer more future upside.
Thanks for listening!
Must be a fan of Coach, no one listens to the Whip Around for my tin-foil hat takes on the NFL lol
I must be listening, because you’re slowly converting me…
Box 2, please.
In your scenario, 31 teams walk away with $0 at the end of the season. One walks with away with $100,000. I agree that Fields could bust, and also that he is the only one of those two who has any chance of getting you that $100k. Yes, the odds are slim. But there’s a chance.
Maybe there’s something bigger in the works. A trade for Stafford, for example. But if it’s between Wilson and Fields, I don’t see how the Steelers could delude themselves into thinking they can reach a Super Bowl with Wilson.
Let’s face it, the Steelers likely aren’t winning anything meaningful with either of these quarterbacks. That being said, they might as well go with the younger and cheaper one.
I agree, but the only one who even has that potential is Fields. To me, it’s a no-brainer.
I’d pay more to keep Fields, I’m just not sure Tomlin will be willing to take the leash off him this year. That’s the only way we see what he’s capable of. You can’t be afraid to be bad if you want to be the best.
That’s my biggest concern. Are they gonna set him free to play? If you’re not keeping him long-term, what are you protecting him from? If you sign him, release the hounds.
I’d expect they (Tomlin telling Smith) to loosen the reins a bit. Then you get into – how much and what Tomlin does when he throws a bad INT kinds of questions. I remember punt returners instantly sitting when they muff one, and muffing two is usually never-again.
I feel like with fields, worst case scenario is he’s average and they win 8-11 games and draft near 20 again. Best case is he’s a solid qb that can manage an offense and can take over a game if he has to. Second best case scenario is he’s awful and the Steelers draft around 10 and can more easily set themselves up to draft a qb early in the draft.
To me I rather have neither and I have said why but what bothers more is Steeler Fans insisting(yes that is the right word to use) that Fields be the starter and for the life of me I don’t understand it. I keep hearing about his mobility, his athleticism and all that but if Fields was all that and a bag of chips why is he still the same guy he was in Chicago?
I’ve never seen fans so determined to believe that Justin has this untapped potential that is just waiting to explode. This guy gets more benefit of the doubt than a lot of other QB’s. Guys like Darnold and Baker were routinely criticized for their performance and there were lots of people that did not want them to have another opportunity to be a Starting QB but with Fields: It’s not his fault, The Organization was bad, He was put in a terrible situation. Like after what 5 years how many times can you defend Justin before it gets to be tiring?
If Tomlin felt that Justin would have fared better than Russ he could have gone back on his word(which he did during that offseason by giving Russ the starting job) but the fact he didn’t at that time or during that end of season losing streak then why in the bluest of blue moon’s did that not happen?
You can call this a complaint, or a rant or whatever makes ya feel better to me I see this as most fans not wanting to harp on Fields the way they do with other QBs.
How would you know? You admitted to not watching any Steelers games in 2024.
Your right. I say this cause to me when they got both guys last offseason my thoughts were “This is your plan for the QB position” and “This is the best you guys can come up with”. Once it happened I promised myself that I would not watch any of there games for the 2024 Season and again it will happen should Fields or Wilson or both are around.
I’m doing this cause up to this point no one has offered a convincing argument that would cause me to reevaluate my answer. All I hear is “He’s got untapped potential” and “He just needs a full year to showcase what he can do” along with “The Bears screwed him up and set him up for failure”. It’s basically every little defense albeit a bad defense under the sun that folks come up with.
Many ask what’s the alternative and I gave my Top 2 options. I didn’t say that either was the “answer” or a Franchise QB, I said that they are better options that Fields and Wilson. Yes I also understand that’s not everyone’s cup of tea but if given the choice between watching Fields or Wilson and not watching any Steeler Games in 2025, then my choice is clear along with the choice others around here have made.
If I had to make a choice between the two, I’d probably go Fields just because he’s cheaper. I like Wilson more, but I don’t think he has another SB run in him.
That said, I want Daniel Jones. (I’m sure I’m a broken record here.) He’s better than Fields and cheaper than Wilson. I agree that it doesn’t need to be a choice between just two players.
Are there really better options, though? Who are they?
I actually agree that Justin Fields will never be a franchise QB. I completely agree that people give him benefits of the doubt that other QBs don’t get. Kenny Pickett was sent packing without even having a third of the opportunities that Justin Fields has had in the league. The cold truth, though, is that there are no other clearly better options which is why I think it’s best to move forward with Fields. Tis is life in the NFL without a franchise QB. You just have to keep grasping at straws and that’s where the Steelers are at the moment. Fields is a straw and the Steelers have to try something.
Seems the reasons people have for Fields are clearly shown in the comments here. And I don’t see any of them expecting Fields to make a big jump, rather saying he has more of a chance of that happening, and frankly the same people don’t expect it, but they think with him there’s at least a chance and don’t see that with Wilson.
Would you feel better about a quarterback such as Jameis Winston or Jacoby Brissett? These are the two the poster said were much better options than Fields in a different discussion. I’m curious what others think as he and I were the only ones involved in that discussion last week.
I wouldn’t feel better with them. First, I wouldn’t spend any extra on a 2025 QB because, even with someone like Darnold if he’s the best of the FA crop, I think it very unlikely that the 2025 team is able to make a deep run. So, the advantage of Fields is that he has the largest upside of the three at arguably the least cost (guessing on that, you may know the expected pay better than me).
And if the gambit fails and they go 7-10, ok, no big deal to me, the FO learned at a very acceptable price that the Fields experiment is over and they (maybe) pull the big trigger in the 2026 draft or get a more solid FA bridge.
Exactly. I would be all for the Steelers having a vet of the Russell Wilson type if they were quality enough, and not completely breaking the bank, to put the Steelers over the top. I don’t think that quarterback exists or the Steelers are a team where the best quarterback in the league could put them over the top. For that reason, I would want a less expensive option that at least is of an age and experience where improvement is possible and not someone on the decline of their career. Unfortunately, I don’t know of anyone that exists other than Justin Fields in that category. So, to me, it’s more of a default rather than an exciting option.
Daniel Jones. I’ll keep pounding that drum until the train is out of the station. He’ll be cheaper than Wilson. He has more talent as a passer than Fields does and is still a top ten rushing QB. 2.4 seconds to throw last season. He is known as a good passer over the middle of the field, which was a huge complaint about both QBs last season. I don’t know if the Vikings are going to try to keep him around, but I think he’d be better for the team than Fields. He was stuck on a terrible team that did very little to make his life better. I don’t think he’ll come in and be the best QB in the league for the Steelers, but he has the measurables, the ability, and the processing they need to win games. He would be at least a bridge that could win games and maybe more. I don’t understand the people talking about Winston, Rodgers, Cousins etc. If the Steelers want an old vet, then they ought to just stick with Wilson and do the best they can to get him some help. They need to do that for anyone they sign though.
Plus this:
“Pittsburgh radio host Andrew Fillipponi reported Tuesday that the Steelers are interested in ex-Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and detailed why the former first-round pick could be a good fit in the Steel City. “There’s interest in former Giants QB Daniel Jones inside the Steelers organization,” Fillipponi said on X.”
I saw you say that recently. My reaction was – “huh, he has a point and may be right, I should do due diligence on that.” Haven’t done it yet. May come down to expected costs.
I will admit to having some intrigue with Daniel Jones. Ultimately, though, the same things that can be said about Jones, being in a bad system in Chicago, not being developed right, etc., apply to Justin Fields too.
Justin Fields has played in 46 NFL games in the NFL. Daniel Jones has played in 70. Personally? I think that amount of experience is plenty to determine that neither of these guys will ever be anything other than journeyman NFL QBs. I would be ok with either given the lack of other options. I just wouldn’t expect anything more than a stop-gap until something better comes along.
He would be at least a bridge that could win games
This is exactly what I said about him. He’s be a bridge guy for sure. He’s a bridge guy that can use the middle of the field and get the TE’s involved. I know Fields has many of the same arguments, but I would argue that he doesn’t have the same talent. That’s just how I see it anyway.
He would be all about price. He got that huge contract in New York and if he thinks he’s worth anything close to that now he’s crazy. So for me, that’s what it would come down to.
Totally agree there! from what I’ve seen he’s expected to get a contract around 13-14M. I’d be happy with anything in the teens.
And he looks like real life Buzz Lightyear!
Hard pass on the Winston. His teammates seem to love him, and comes off as a great guy, but that cat throws more terrible interceptions than Trubisky. Zero chance cautious Mike is gonna tolerate the picks Jamis throws. I’d love him as a mentor or backup.
Ah, I didn’t see that conversation last week and was wondering what other QBs he was speaking to,
Forgetting Brissett altogether and just trying to be logical, if there is any team that will get Jameis Winston to fly right it is the Steelers. Mike Tomlin’s “never take a risk” style might get Winston to cut down on the turnovers some. That said, the team would never sign such a reckless QB here to begin with.
It doesn’t matter if they don’t fix the biggest problems with the offense … the offensive line. No holes for running backs and no protection for QBs means whatever offensive scheme they may want to run just won’t work. They won’t fire Meyer and Munchak isn’t coming back. Jones is a question mark, Fautanu is an unknown. The guards are not top drawer and Frazier is still learning.
Given the OL, age, mobility and the issues with the WR and RB rooms … I think Fields is the better option, but it will take another Tomlin ‘magic act’ to make the playoffs.
The offensive line could well pretty much fix itself without doing anything to it all:
Zack Frazier keeps trending up.
Mason McCormick keeps trending up.
Troy Fautanu comes back ok.
Isaac Seumalo remains good.
Broderick Jones plays ok on the left side.
That line might not need much of anything other than staying healthy and Jones picking it up.
Totally agree with this. They planted the flowers and it’s time to watch them and see how they grow. Expecting all these young guys to pick it up from day one and be a really good line is just asking too much. I don’t think you know what you have in a linemen for a good three years, even if they have a good first year, and Seumalo is the only guy that’s been around that long.
I look at it this way. The Steelers are extremely unlikely to challenge for a Super Bowl this season or next for a variety of reasons.
At QB, Russell Wilson is the safer bet, but safe in this case means two more marginal winning records and no chance of even being competitive in the post-season while the milquetoast owner and stale head coach continue to . . . pick your metaphor: Tread water? Kick the can down the road? Live in their fears?
Justin Fields could (maybe, just maybe) grow to be the Steelers next franchise QB; he could also flop loudly, break that goddamn non-losing record streak and set the Steelers up to draft their guy in 2026.
Another metaphor/cliche: Tear off the band-aid and take a chance. I’m going to say that both Justin Fields outcomes, good and bad, take firmer steps toward success, if success is to be measured in the post season.
I’m just unsure how the team could run it back with Russ. He was fine but they are preaching trying to win a playoff game, and if they bring back Russ nothing changes in key positions from the team that lost 5 on the bounce to playoff caliber teams to end the season. Bring back Fields and let him sink or swim… Either way you have a clearer picture going forward.