The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot to do this offseason, and there is perhaps nothing more important in today’s NFL than having a good quarterback. While Pittsburgh’s quarterback play in the 2024 season had some ups and downs, it was simply not good enough to win down the stretch and in the postseason. Given that fact, it’s unlikely Pittsburgh will run it back with the same quarterback room next year. Below are the Steelers 2025 quarterback options ranked from best to worst.
Ranking the Steelers 2025 Quarterback Options
1) Justin Fields
To start, this list is not ordered by who is the best quarterback. Rather, it is ordered by who would make the most sense for Pittsburgh to have under center next year. For several reasons, Justin Fields makes the most sense to be the Steelers 2025 quarterback. First, he is not expected to be very expensive. Spotrac currently projects his value to be in the $6.5 million per year range. Further, Fields showed serious improvement in the six games he started for Pittsburgh in 2024. They would be silly to not see what he could do over a full season at that price.
Finally, giving Fields a full year in their offense could help the Steelers determine what their near-term future will hold. If he continues to improve and succeed, great. They can go try to win a championship with him. And if he fails, Pittsburgh will know Fields is not their quarterback of the future. Plus, if he disappoints, the team would likely have a high pick in the 2026 draft, which would allow them to accelerate a rebuild. If Pittsburgh wants to win now, Fields is easily worth $6.5 million. And if they are more concerned about their future, they need to see if Fields deserves to be a part of it.
2) Matthew Stafford
There’s no doubt Matthew Stafford would give the Steelers a better chance to win in 2025 than Justin Fields. While there has been no official indication the Los Angeles Rams will trade Stafford, it is certainly a possibility. Depending on the price, one would think Pittsburgh would have to be interested. Stafford played well in 2024, despite his top targets dealing with several injuries, and had the Rams 13 yards away from the NFC Championship Game.
If they are truly in win-now mode, Matthew Stafford should be the Steelers 2025 quarterback. However, given all the holes on their roster, Pittsburgh shouldn’t be all-in on winning in 2025, which is why Stafford ranks behind Fields on this list. While Stafford is better than Fields now, there is no potential future to look forward to with the former like there is with the latter.
3) Rookie Quarterback
This is the least likely option on the list, but it is not the worst option. As stated above, the Steelers should be focused more on rebuilding than winning now. If that is the case, they could take a flyer on a quarterback in the second or third round of the draft. While it’s unlikely, someone like Jaxson Dart or Will Howard could intrigue the Steelers on Day 2 of the draft.
Depending on what happens with Fields and Russell Wilson in free agency, a rookie could be a better option in 2025 than whatever journeyman Pittsburgh targets in free agency. Would the Steelers win many games with a Day 2 rookie quarterback starting in 2025? No, not by any stretch of the imagination. But again, they should be focused on their future. A bad season in 2025 will help accelerate their rebuild, and maybe they could even find a franchise quarterback along the way.
4) Any Other Veteran Quarterback
Whether it’s Wilson, Aaron Rogers, or someone else, it makes no sense for Pittsburgh to trot out any veteran quarterback other than Stafford in 2025. If they are trying to win now, Stafford is a much better quarterback than Wilson or Rodgers at this stage of their careers. Stafford is still comfortably in the top 10 quarterbacks discussion; Wilson and Rodgers aren’t at that level anymore. Wilson showed down the stretch of last season that he doesn’t have what it takes to win consistently anymore. Rodgers is long past his prime and isn’t worth the locker room distractions and Pat McAfee Show appearances that come with him.
Main Image: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports
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