A Pittsburgh Steelers reporter and columnist are among noteworthy members of the NFL community who believe the team will ultimately re-sign current starting quarterback Russell Wilson. This is partly because 25-year-old backup Justin Fields could “find more money” and “more opportunity” with a different team.
However, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated is still convinced the Steelers could get something done with Fields before the free-agent negotiating window opens on March 10.
“I personally think there’s a good chance Justin winds up back in Pittsburgh,” Breer said on the latest edition of “The MMQB NFL Podcast,” Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot shared. “He’s got good relationships. I think there’s a lot of good logic to the idea of Fields going back to Pittsburgh in some capacity.”
Multiple reporters and analysts have suggested throughout the winter that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin “feels a commitment or a loyalty to Wilson” even though the one-time Super Bowl champion lost his final five starts with Pittsburgh this past season. It’s also been said that Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith allegedly wants to run it back with Fields after Smith “did not have a very good working relationship” with Wilson during the campaign’s second half.
Fields went 4-2 as a starter over the first six weeks of the 2024 regular season as Wilson recovered from a lingering calf problem. While Tomlin stuck with Wilson from Week 7 through the rest of the campaign, Fields seemingly impressed individuals within the organization with how he handled himself from last spring through January.
“He was a Steeler before he became one,” Breer added about Fields. “Just in his mentality, the way he carries himself, who he is. And I know they’d like to keep working with him.”
As much as the Steelers may not want to “overpay” Fields, they almost certainly have to give him financial reasons to pass on hitting the open market amid stories linking him with quarterback-needy teams such as the New York Jets and New York Giants. Meanwhile, the perception now exists that Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams may be using interest from teams such as the Steelers to land the contract extension he wants from his current employer.
Per Josh Carney of Steelers Depot, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler hinted during a Tuesday appearance on the “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” ESPN Radio program that outside clubs have only a “sliver of hope” that Stafford will become available in March. Thus, Pittsburgh may need to put Stafford-related dreams to bed and agree on a deal with Fields before March 10 to ensure he doesn’t end up elsewhere.
