The Steelers have fully rebuilt their quarterback room this offseason, signing nine-time Professional Bowler Russell Wilson, buying and selling for the Bears’ Justin Fields, and dealing Kenny Pickett to the Eagles.
Nevertheless, Pittsburgh at the moment has zero quarterbacks underneath contract in 2025. So, what is the plan?
It might be that the Steelers do not know what the plan is as of now. All that’s recognized is that Wilson has the “pole place” for the beginning job, in keeping with head coach Mike Tomlin, and that is not stunning because the staff clearly believes it is able to contend for a Tremendous Bowl now.
The place does that depart Fields, the No. 11 total decide within the 2021 NFL Draft, following this 12 months?
Until the Steelers decide up Fields’ fifth-year choice, which is sudden since it’s projected to be price about $25.66 million, per Over The Cap, he’ll be set to hit the open market subsequent offseason.
That is precisely why the Pittsburgh Put up-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac believes the staff might prolong the 25-year-old sooner moderately than later.
“They will not in the course of the season,” Dulac wrote. “They may re-visit with Wilson after the season. That’s the intention of each events. I would not be shocked in the event that they did one thing sooner with Fields.”
The NFL noticed the same state of affairs play out final offseason between the Packers and QB Jordan Love. As a substitute of exercising his fifth-year choice, Inexperienced Bay signed Like to an incentive-laden one-year contract extension price as much as $22.5 million.
It makes a variety of sense for the Steelers to do one thing related with Fields for the 2025 season since he’s unlikely to see the sphere very a lot this 12 months, barring Wilson getting injured or enjoying very poorly.
Many consider Wilson offers Pittsburgh the perfect probability to win now, and rightfully so along with his 12 years of expertise within the league, however Fields is the staff’s future.
Permitting Wilson to play on his prove-it, one-year deal in 2024 whereas extending Fields to be his potential substitute down the highway appears like the perfect route for the Steelers to take as they proceed to seek for their subsequent franchise quarterback.
