The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the teams rumored to be keeping a keen eye on the Justin Fields sweepstakes as the front office turns over every stone to try and fix the team's quarterback situation for the 2024 season. Pittsburgh is looking for real competition to Kenny Pickett after the University of Pittsburgh product didn't prove enough in two seasons that he can definitively lead the team as the starter. ESPN's Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler provided an update on the Chicago Bears' plans to move on from the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
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Justin Fields extends a play with his legs as quarterback for the Chicago Bears
The biggest thing driving the lack of a move for Fields to this point, according to Graziano, is the unknown situations of some of the high-profile quarterbacks that are free agents, like Minnesota Vikings signal-caller Kirk Cousins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers field general Baker Mayfield. The longtime NFL insider thinks the Bears are set on drafting USC Trojans standout Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which means a trade out of the Windy City is likely for Fields. Still, the trade will likely come after the dust settles on those free agents.
"They did not find the market they were hoping to find for Fields, so as of now, they're waiting to see what happens with Cousins, Baker Mayfield, and maybe some others, and what kind of market emerges once those situations sort themselves out," Graziano wrote. "It's an odd offseason in which the supply at the quarterback position seems to be higher relative to the demand than usual, which works in favor of the teams who are looking for quarterbacks and likely drives the price down in these kinds of trade talks."
Fowler added that the key for the Bears front office, led by General Manager Ryan Poles, is patience. He wrote that some people around the league are wondering whether Chicago has gotten any enticing offers yet.
"The Bears aren't panicked despite no deal reached for a Fields trade," he wrote. "If somehow Cousins and Mayfield re-sign with their respective teams, Chicago suddenly has potential leverage with Atlanta. Or if Mayfield leaves, does Fields jump into the fray with Tampa Bay? Letting a few dominoes fall is risky, but it also isn't the worst thing."
One of those potential dominoes is the Steelers reported interest in former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. The Super Bowl champion in 2013 reportedly had a very positive meeting with Pittsburgh's staff.
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Former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson warms up before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Denver.
The Steelers have maintained the desire to bring back Mason Rudolph. The team's third-round pick from 2018 played his best football down the stretch after taking over from an ineffective Mitch Trubisky. It's highly improbable Wilson could co-exist with Rudolph and Pickett in the Steelers 2024 quarterback room. Wilson had met with the New York Giants before coming to Pittsburgh and could be in the mix for other teams needing a quarterback after the dust settles on free agency.
Steelers Potential Trade Cost For Fields Continues To Dwindle
It appears that the cost to acquire Fields is decreasing as the Bears wait for other teams to make moves with their quarterbacks. In March, ESPN insider Adam Schefter suggested that the Bears were hoping to receive a second-round pick and another pick in later rounds for Fields. However, it seems that this may no longer be realistic, according to Graziano.
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Justin Fields keeps his eyes forward while running with the ball during a Chicago Bears game.
Some teams that have talked to the Bears are not convinced that the quarterback can perform better than some of the other young quarterbacks available on the open market, who won't require a fifth-year option. He notes that the situation is still in flux. If a team is left without their top choice, they may become desperate and reconsider a second-round pick, but the interested teams are hesitant to give up that much right now.
"The idea that Chicago could get a second-round pick for Fields no longer seems likely, but it's always possible that one of these QB-needy teams will get panicky once other options fly off the board, so it behooves GM Ryan Poles to wait," he added. "Right now, the message the Bears are getting back from teams is that they don't consider Fields more of a sure thing than other potential one-year options such as Sam Darnold or Drew Lock, who wouldn't come with the fifth-year option decision that Fields' eventual team will have to make by early May."
Pittsburgh still has work to do on figuring out what it wants at the quarterback position besides Pickett. The first dominoes will start to fall in free agency and then at the draft.
Who is your favorite quarterback notion to add to the Steelers in the 2024 offseason? Would you trade for Fields if the cost is a late-round pick? Comment below!
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