According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there’s a faction in the Steelers’ organization that would be comfortable with QB Justin Fields as the team’s starter in 2025.
There were similar reports during the regular season this past year when Fields started the first six games while veteran QB Russell Wilson recovered from a calf injury and had a 4-2 record. There were people in the building who wanted to stick with Fields before Steelers HC Mike Tomlin made the call to go back to Wilson as a starter, a decision that ended up aging well.
Fowler says Fields is viewed as being younger and having more upside than Wilson, particularly as a rushing threat. However, he notes one concern is Fields’ lack of chemistry with WR George Pickens, who Wilson was able to unlock when he took over.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II said recently he expected the team to be able to keep only one of either Wilson or Fields, as both view themselves as starting-caliber quarterbacks and will likely seek the best path to playing time this offseason.
Wilson has maintained his first choice is to stay with the Steelers despite reports linking him as an option for the Raiders.
Fields, 25, was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears out of Ohio State. Chicago traded up to No. 15 overall with the Giants to get Fields and parted with their 2022 first-round pick in the process.
He signed a four-year rookie deal worth $18,871,956 with a signing bonus of $11,085,059 that also included a fifth-year option to pick up on him in 2024 worth $21.978 million guaranteed for the 2025 season.
The Bears traded Fields to the Steelers for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick that can improve to a fourth-round pick if Fields plays 51 percent of the snaps in 2024. Pittsburgh declined Fields’ fifth-year option.
In 2024, Fields started six games for the Steelers and completed 65.8 percent of his pass attempts for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. He has also rushed 60 times for 274 yards and five touchdowns.
We’ll have more on Fields and the Steelers’ quarterback situation as the news is available.
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