The rumor mill has been swirling weeks ahead of the start of the 2024 free agency period, but one rumor that has been a huge topic since the beginning is the odds of Justin Fields getting traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Bears owning the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, Fields will be moved via trade, and Pittsburgh seems like an ideal landing spot, considering the dismal QB play they've gotten in each of the past two seasons.
Now fuel has been added to the fire when it comes to this Steelers rumor. Though Art Rooney II said he would put a trade for a quarterback in the 'unlikely' category, this potential fit and connection can't be ignored... and the rumor mill isn't going to stop churning anytime soon.
Recently, Fields joined the St. Brown brothers on The 33rd Team where they discussed a range of topics -- one of which was Fields' favorite non-home stadiums. The former first-round pick expressed his love for Pittsburgh and talked about how 'lit' it was to play at Acrisure Stadium for Monday Night Football.
"Pittsburgh was lit too. Just with the terrible towels my rookie year. It was lit over there too... Pittsburgh was lit Monday night. It was lit that night. "Justin Fields via The 33rd Team
Fields only played in Pittsburgh once and he hasn't done so since his rookie season in 2021, so, interestingly, he would list Acrisure Stadium as one of his top three non-home stadiums to play.
The St. Brown brothers, Amon Ra and Equinemious, also asked Fields about why he unfollowed the Bears on Instagram. Fields played it off casually -- saying that he didn't want it clogging up his social media feed -- but perhaps there's a bigger reason here.
Last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers became the odds-on favorites to have Justin Fields as their starting quarterback during the 2024 season, and it's getting easier to connect the dots. We also can't ignore how much Mike Tomlin liked him during the pre-draft process. In fact, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac just reiterated that the Steelers would have drafted Fields if he had still been available to them in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
When you break it down, there aren't many teams that make sense for Fields. Other NFL teams either have their quarterback or are in a prime position to turn the page by drafting one of the top QB prospects. The Atlanta Falcons seem to be the other team very much in the mix in a Justin Fields trade, but we can't close the door on this possibility for the Steelers as well.
The NFL legal tampering period begins on March 11th and teams will have two days before the official start of free agency to begin negotiating with players and reaching out about trades. It will be interesting to see how serious the Pittsburgh Steelers could be about trading for him this offseason.