For a team in desperate need of a quarterback like the Pittsburgh Steelers, they sure make some wild decisions (or I guess you could say lack of decisions). Entering the final weekend before free agency, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was up for grabs, but it was the Las Vegas Raiders who came knocking and executed the trade; not the Steelers.
Smith has an obvious connection with former head coach Pete Carroll, but that shouldn't have stopped the Steelers from making a move for the veteran. At the mere price of a 2025 third-round pick, the Raiders were able to land an excellent stop-gap quarterback option.
Steelers fans have nobody to blame but Mike Tomlin.
Since Tomlin so arrogantly benched Justin Fields for Russell Wilson in Week 7 of the 2024 season, he's doubled down on his mistakes. Wilson looked encouraging at the time, but the 36-year-old crumbled down the stretch—leading his offense to 14 points per game during a five-game losing streak to end the year (including the playoffs).
What's worse is that the player Tomlin planted on the bench (Justin Fields) is supposedly the one he wants to hand the keys to the franchise to in 2025. Make it make sense!
Pittsburgh Steelers backed themselves into a corner after Raiders' trade for Geno Smith
It's hard to let the Geno Smith trade go. While I believe the Pittsburgh Steelers should have started a true rebuild long ago, Tomlin and the organization don't see it that way. If this was the case, trading for Smith would have been the best move this organization could have made during the offseason.
At the cost of a third-round pick—and a new contract for Smith—the Steelers could have landed a quarterback who has 71 touchdown passes and over 12,000 passing yards over just the past three seasons. During this time, Smith also earned two Pro Bowl honors and the Comeback Player of the Year award while earning an MVP vote in 2022.
With Smith off the table, that means there is one less suitor for Russell Wilson... and going back to Wilson in 2025 would be a nightmare. The Steelers have officially backed themselves into a corner. It's Justin Fields or nobody, and they may have to pay a premium for his services.
Fields is rumored to be drawing interest from the New York Jets. And after the way Mike Tomlin treated Fields in 2024, why would he want to come back and play for a head coach who didn't believe he was good enough to get the job done?
Pittsburgh's quarterback scenario is reaching nightmare territory, and squandering an opportunity to trade for Geno Smith is the cherry on top.