Since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been unable to find a quarterback who could lead them to lasting success. That didn't change in 2024. Despite aggressively pursuing Russell Wilson and Justin Fields during the offseason, Pittsburgh still has major question marks at the position.
Despite going 4-2 in the first six weeks of the season, Fields was benched for Wilson—who was previously dealing with a calf injury. Wilson's mid-season performances inspired hope... but that was before his late-season collapse.
At one point, it looked like streaming veteran quarterbacks just might work. Now hope has faded, and the Steelers could be the lone team in the AFC North without their quarterback of the future in 2025.
Browns primed to draft Shedeur Sanders
On January 6, Browns reporter for ESPN Daniel Oyefusi reported that quarterback Deshaun Watson had suffered a setback from his Achilles recovery—an injury that already comes with nearly a year-long timetable for recovery.
Even before this news, it seemed likely the Browns would search for a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. After falling to the Ravens in their final game of the season, Cleveland finished the season with a 3-14 record and now holds the second overall pick in this April's draft.
Early rumors suggest the quarterback-needy Titans—who hold the first overall pick—have been rumored to like Miami quarterback Cam Ward. This would leave Shedeur Sanders ripe for the picking for the Browns. Sanders, the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, was a well-known figure in college football thanks to his impressive two-year stint at Colorado.
A likely forthcoming QB move by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Draft would mean the Pittsburgh Steelers would be the last team in the AFC North still searching for their franchise quarterback.
Steelers' QB options will be limited in 2025
Unfortunately, the projected free-agent options in 2025 look bleak. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are unrestricted free agents, so bringing back one (or possibly both) is an option. But if these guys weren't good enough to Pittsburgh over the hump this year, what makes them believe they will be good enough in 2025?
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Sam Darnold is the prize jewel after a remarkable 2024 season, but he's likely to remain with the Vikings. This would leave the Steelers picking up scraps and rolling the dice on retread quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, Jameis Winston, or even Aaron Rodgers—all of whom are unspectacular options.
This isn't a good year to draft a quarterback where the Steelers will be picking either.
After the top two names, there is nobody among this QB class who projects as a starter in 2025, let alone a franchise signal-caller for that matter. The Steelers could press their luck in a trade for a failed option like Anthony Richardson or Will Levis, but they would likely be less competitive with one of these polarizing quarterbacks next season.
Because of the severe lack of options, we could be looking at another year of bridge quarterback play, courtesy of Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. Eventually, the Pittsburgh Steelers will need to find a franchise QB to keep up with the AFC North and stay competitive in the conference.