When the NFL's negotiation period opened on Monday, we expected Justin Fields to be in the running as the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025. Russell Wilson crumbled down the stretch while Art Rooney II and Omar Khan both hinted at Fields as the potential replacement. But Fields doesn't see it that way.
As contract negotiations around the league started to heat up, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (per NBC Sports) that Justin Fields 'won’t sign with the Steelers' if they can’t commit to him as their QB1.
Who could have seen this coming?
After Week 6 of the 2024 season, head coach Mike Tomlin confidently (and arrogantly) benched Fields in favor of Wilson. But when Wilson fell apart and went on a five-game losing streak that concluded with an early playoff exit, Tomlin refused to turn to Fields for help. This decision could come back to haunt a Steelers organization desperate for an answer at quarterback.
Pittsburgh Steelers burned bridges with free-agent quarterback Justin Fields
If signing Justin Fields was the ultimate goal this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn't have handled business more poorly. Tomlin destroyed Fields' confidence when he benched the 25-year-old after executing Tomlin's game plan.
In the first six weeks of the season, Fields recorded 10 total touchdowns and just one interception while leading his team to a 4-2 record. Tomlin's philosophy is keeping the football out of harm's way. Fields was able to do that, but it still wasn't good enough for the head coach.
Now 26 and entering his fifth NFL season, Fields knows that this could be his last opportunity to prove himself as a starting quarterback in this league, and he doesn't want to blow this chance on a team that already forced him to rot on the bench last season.
Amid this report from Schefter, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests the Steelers are 'getting close' to a deal with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It's unclear whether Rodgers was the fallback plan to Fields or vice versa.
Either way, Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers handled the quarterback situation poorly during the 2024 season, and Justin Fields has every right to want the team to commit to him this time around. If they don't, you can kiss Fields goodbye as a QB option for this team in 2025.