While there seems like a litany of question marks surrounding the Steelers this offseason, no position bears the weight that the quarterback position does for the team right now. They completely tore down and rebuilt the room last year, and it looked like it paid dividends initially. After the collapse at the end of the season though, quarterback remains a thorn in this team’s side.
Russell Wilson was the starter minus the stretch of games he was injured for. He provided a spark initially for the team, but down the stretch defenses figured him out and he failed to keep this team in games. Justin Fields won, but it felt like the team won despite him. Even with Wilson’s struggles, Fields remained on the bench.
With both being free agents this offseason, the team can once again rebuild this room with brand-new faces. Free agency is unique, as a heavy quarterback class from a few years ago is set to become free agents. Fields’s class saw options like Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, and Mac Jones all go in a similar range as Fields.
None of them have panned out, but you can always roll the dice with one of them if you want to. You can target another veteran like Kirk Cousins or Aaron Rodgers as well.
There is also the Sam Darnold question, as he has played exceptionally well for the Vikings and is set to be a free agent. Add in the usual suspects in the draft and there are a lot of options for the team this offseason. That said, all things considered, one name sticks out as the best option for this team to actually win games next year.
Justin Fields gives the Steelers the best chance to win
All things considered, with the options at quarterback being on the weaker side overall, the team needs to stick with Fields if they want to win next year. There is the option to plan a soft rebuild and target a quarterback in 2026, but that is very unlike the Steelers to do that. They want to win, even if it means the same mediocre results year after year.
Let's look into all of the options. First off, the draft doesn’t make sense for a quarterback this year. It is a weak class overall with only two top names (and even those names are lackluster, in my opinion). The team isn’t in a position to trade up for either top name, and given their issues, I would advise against a move like that. Beyond that, no name will be able to lead you effectively this season.
The former first-round busts intrigue me, but for a team that still wants to appear competitive on paper, they are too big of a risk. Darnold is set up for a big contract, and given the risk of regression there, it would be surprising to see the Steelers give him the best deal. As for the other veterans, they looked worse than Wilson did, so it makes little sense to turn their way. If this team wants to win this year, Wilson or Fields is their best bet.
So why Fields over Wilson? Simply put, you saw defenses adjust to his game style midway through the season. Suddenly, he went from efficient with the occasional big play to doing his best Kenny Pickett impersonation. At his age, he doesn’t offer you much on the ground, so if he fails as a passer, this offense becomes one-dimensional.
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Fields lacks the refinement as a passer, but he is an incredible athlete on the ground. This team has a strong desire to be good on the ground, and he helps you there. His arm talent is good, albeit wild at times, so it isn’t like the passing game has to stall either.
What it boils down to is that the league is dominated by the passing game. Defenses are built to stop it, so if you don’t have an elite passing game (or a quarterback that can run an elite passing offense), you need to build yourself differently. For the Steelers and Fields, this would be an option-heavy game that keeps defenses guessing in the run game. Don’t stack the box though, because the passing game can still work for Fields.
This doesn’t even take into account everything else. I think Fields will be cheaper than Wilson, he is younger, and supposedly Arthur Smith prefers him over Wilson. While the offense was muted and simple with him at the helm, they had prepared all offseason for Wilson to be the guy. Give Fields an entire offseason to be the guy, and you should have more comfort there.
If you trot Wilson back out there, you can expect similar results to what we saw at the end of the season. Defending Fields is a harder task, and you can prepare all offseason for an offense that utilizes his strengths. It won’t lead to a Super Bowl, but if this team wants to be a “contender” as they have been the past few years, Fields gives them the best chance to win.