The Pittsburgh Steelers' decision to completely overhaul their quarterback room this offseason was bold, but on the surface, it made logical sense. Primary starter Russell Wilson had a terrible finish to what was an overall mediocre season, and Justin Fields never gained the trust of Mike Tomlin despite a 4-2 record as a starter.
Still, losing both of them only to go after former Steeler Mason Rudolph and the 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers doesn't exactly guarantee that the position will be significantly better.
It's fair to assume even an aging version of Rodgers is a likely upgrade for 2025, the future of the position is still unclear. After seeing how the 26-year-old Fields looked in his Jets debut, the Steelers may have some remorse about letting him out the door.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields shines in Jets debut
Reports out of Jets camp have been very unflattering towards the former first-round pick, but things looked far better in his first live reps against the Packers Saturday night. He led the offense down the field with ease, racking up 42 passing yards and 14 rushing yards, including this impressive run for a touchdown.
Justin Fields: pic.twitter.com/tSkNIgvLWi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 10, 2025
Most NFL fans already know how explosive Fields is as a runner, but his improvement as a passer last season for the Steelers seems to be sticking after years of stagnant development in that area. If he can just threaten defenses a bit more with his arm, the possibilities are endless in the running game with his speed and power.
Had Pittsburgh been able to convince him to stick around, he could have learned a lot from Aaron Rodgers in a backup role or maybe even convinced the team that he was the better option during camp. I don't blame him for chasing more money and a guaranteed starting job with the Jets, but it's hard not to wonder what it could have looked like had he returned.
The odds are still stacked against Fields ever being more than low-tier starter, and Rodgers has looked increasingly better as he has gotten more acclimated at Steelers camp. But if the Rodgers move blows up in the Steelers' face, and the Jets look good under Fields, there will be plenty of unhappy fans wishing things had been different.