The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be a major talking point throughout the 2025 offseason. This is mainly because of the ugly way that their 2024 season ended, and the quarterback situation being a big conundrum. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are slated to hit free agency once the new league year begins in March, but the organization is expected to bring one quarterback back to be the starter in 2025. It is still a mystery which quarterback that will be, but the fan base is certainly favoring Fields.
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Steelers' Justin Fields runs with the football during a Week 12 loss against the Cleveland Browns in 2024.
Wilson ended the 2024 season on a bad note as the Steelers lost five consecutive games. He wound up finishing the year going 6-6 as a starting quarterback while Fields went 4-2 to begin the year. Fields certainly has some growing to do, but he showed some inspiring signs of growth as a passer when he was on the field for Pittsburgh.
NFL insider Dianna Russini spoke about Wilson on the most recent episode of her podcast, Scoop City, with her co-host Chase Daniel.
"Pittsburgh, I'm not in on the Pittsburgh thing," Russini said. "I could see Pittsburgh moving on. I could see Pittsburgh going, 'You know what, this was a great experiment.'"
Head Coach Mike Tomlin is a fan of Wilson, and he did play well at certain points during the 2024 season. However, Wilson's lack of mobility is just not what it takes to win in the NFL anymore. Quarterbacks need to be able to extend plays, improvise, and takeoff down the field when it is needed. Wilson just can't provide that at this stage of his career, which is exactly why Pittsburgh must move on.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson on the sideline during a game against the New York Jets in 2024.
Fields is certainly the more exciting option, and he also makes the most sense. All Tomlin wants to do is be able to run the football, and Fields is one of the best runners at the quarterback position. The run game should have success with Fields, while he continues to improve as a passer. Daniel shared his thoughts with Russini on what he believes Pittsburgh should do as well.
"I think Pittsburgh should sign Fields back, personally," Daniel said to Russini. "I, um, I'm going to guess they're going to do that too," Russini said.
Russini is one of the more reliable insiders within the NFL, and she seemed pretty confident in saying that she thinks the Steelers will move on from Wilson. She also seemed confident in saying the organization will look to bring back Fields, which is almost the team's only option. Pittsburgh won't be finding an immediate starting quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft, so the organization's options are Fields or some veteran that isn't under contract.
Fields should come with a reasonable price for a couple of seasons, and if he excels, then that is great for the Steelers. If he fizzles out, then at least the organization knows that they need to look elsewhere. Tomlin chose to sit Fields after just six starts, so the organization never really knew what they had. Hopefully in 2025 they will get that chance.
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Steelers quarterback Justin Fields runs off the playing surface following a Week 6 game against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV.
Steelers Need To Help Their Quarterbacks
During the 2024 season, the quarterbacks for the Steelers didn't really have many places to go with the football. George Pickens is a great receiver and Calvin Austin III came on nicely, but other than that, it was hard to find open receivers on the field. Pickens suffered a hamstring injury later in the year, and the offense seemed lost in the passing game during his absence.
The Steelers need to add more weapons. If the quarterbacks on the roster don't have anyone around them, it just makes things more difficult. The Steelers are in a great spot to draft a wide receiver in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and that is where the organization's focus should be.
What do you think about Russini's comments on the quarterback situation? Let us know in the comments below!
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