The Pittsburgh Steelers are still trying to figure out who their starting quarterback will be for the 2025 season. It has been understood that they want to keep one of their in-house options, but with free agency around the corner, that possibility seems to be less and less. Legal tampering starts on Monday, March 10th, and there has likely been plenty of illegal tampering going on behind the scenes. Pittsburgh's front office needs to hurry up and offer a solid contract to someone if they want to secure their top option.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson and Justin Fields get warmed up before a home game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Justin Fields has been rumored to be the Steelers' top choice for a while now, but there seems to be little to no progress on a deal. NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler explained why that is the case.
Where Justin Fields and the #Steelers stand:
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 9, 2025
Both sides have discussed a reunion and have been open to it, but Fields wants to test the market to truly see how teams view him and make an informed decision. The #Jets' interest has percolated since before the combine.
Money is the biggest factor in picking a team for any player. While Fields may want to stay in Pittsburgh, the open market might offer him significantly more than what the Steelers would. In a weak free agency class, Fields might be the best quarterback available, and that would certainly drive up his price tag. Supply and demand says give the young quarterback what he wants.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields gets a first down against the Browns.
It doesn't help that Fields got benched after starting the season 4-2. Head Coach Mike Tomlin may like him, but he told the world exactly how he felt when he wouldn't let him get another start after his solid run. Even with money being a factor, he may feel slighted after being told to sit down and not get back up from the bench.
Steelers Have Backup Plan In Place
A recent report came out about how the Steelers will likely throw an offer towards Sam Darnold after his sudden resurgence in 2024. He will be the other hot commodity on the open market besides Fields, which means the Steelers will have to pay a large sum to get their guy anyways.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold stands during the National Anthem before a game in 2024.
If the Steelers get neither, then they will have to go back to bargain hunting, whether that's keeping Russell Wilson or signing someone else that won't be targeted by many teams as a starter. Eventually, they just have to pay up to get what they want, or else they will have an even harder time finding a capable starting quarterback in the future.
What do you think about Fields testing out the open market? Let us know in the comments.
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