Steelers Can't Waste Time Waiting To Sign Justin Fields: "Now You Got 4, 5, 6 Teams That Need A QB"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a looming quarterback decision again this offseason. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the team has struggled to find their next franchise quarterback. The Kenny Pickett experiment failed; they doubted Mason Rudolph's abilities, and swept the quarterback room clean. They brought in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, and both got an opportunity to start with mixed results. 

Owner and President Art Rooney II said the team hopes to bring back one of them. However, it isn't as simple as whatever Pittsburgh wants, Pittsburgh gets. Many have pointed out that Wilson might be willing to take a little less money to stay in the Steel City, as he is on the back end of a very successful career. Why would he want to start all over again at 36 years old?

Many insiders think the team is more interested in Fields than Wilson, especially after the end-of-season collapse. Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show told the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show that he doesn't see the losses as primarily Wilson's fault and added that the decision might not be as easy as fans think. 

"I think they are more interested, but that doesn't mean he is going to be the guy they choose," explained Kaboly. "If I'm Justin, I'm liking the position I'm in right now. 'Oh man, you didn't want to sign me last year?' I'm sure if they would have went to him last year and said, 'Hey, we wanna add you here before the season starts for a year or so,' he might have accepted it. Now you got four, five, six teams that need a quarterback, who's 26. You just go out there, and you shop. Shop until you find the best position. Maybe the best position's here, maybe the money out there is comparable to here, but if you're the Steelers, can you wait? Can you say, 'Hey, Russ, hold on a sec, let's go see if Justin's gonna go sign somewhere else.' You can't do that. Then all of a sudden, you've got Kyle Allen starting."

While it is easy to say they should have offered Fields a longer contract before the 2024 season, hindsight really is 20/20. Fields had been with the Chicago Bears, where he struggled to find offensive consistency. The Steelers had no idea what they had in him or how he would perform in Pittsburgh. 

It is no surprise that Fields is seen as the favorite. When Head Coach Mike Tomlin decided to move on from Fields and start Wilson, reports broke that it caused dissension among the staff, who saw the athletic quarterback as the future. While Fields has been criticized for his decision-making, his struggles to read the defenses, and for holding the ball too long, others believe he improved in Pittsburgh.

Does Steelers' Russell Wilson Lack Fans Among The Staff?

Shortly after the season ended, rumors started swirling that Wilson did not get along with Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith. This led many to believe Fields would be Smith's preference, given a choice. 

Kaboly was recently asked how it would work if they brought back Wilson. Would they magically fix their relationship? He suggested that Tomlin might back off from controlling the offense and allow Smith to make more decisions. This has come up numerous times, especially this past season. The rumors are that Tomlin has his fingers in both the offense and the defense and, in a sense, holds back the coordinators. 

Do you think the Steelers will move to secure Fields before they lose him? Click to comment below. 

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