Getty The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac wrote that the Pittsburgh Steelers are "highly unlikely" to pick up the fifth-year option for quarterback Justin Fields.
With a few different blockbuster moves, the Pittsburgh Steelers have completely transformed their quarterback room. But how the position looks in Pittsburgh after the 2024 season remains to be seen. On March 19, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac weighed in on what the future may hold for new Steelers quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Most notably, Dulac wrote that “it is highly unlikely” the Steelers will pick up Fields’ fifth-year option. The team must make that decision by May 2.
Dulac reported picking up Fields’ option will cost a projected $19.9 million for the 2025 season. But even if the Steelers decline the option, Fields could remain in Pittsburgh past this season.
“That doesn’t preclude the possibility Fields, who just turned 25, could be signed to a new multiyear deal even before the start of the 2024 season,” Dulac wrote. “After all, it would make sense.
“Fields is being viewed as a potential quarterback for the future with the Steelers, even though he was 10-28 as a starter in three seasons with the Bears. It is not their intention to bring him in merely as a backup for one season.”
The Steelers traded a conditional sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for Fields on March 16. That was a day after the Steelers dealt quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Fields will be Wilson’s backup in 2024.
Steelers’ Future Plans With Justin Fields
At the beginning of the offseason, pundits overwhelming viewed Fields as a starter if the Bears traded him. That likely won’t come to fruition, though, as he landed in Pittsburgh days after the team signed Wilson.
Interestingly, the Steelers were reportedly set on Wilson having to compete with Pickett for the starting job. However, the team does not have the same plan with Wilson and Fields.
“Unlike what would have taken place if Pickett wanted to stick around and fight for his job, Wilson has been handed the job as the No. 1 quarterback,” wrote Dulac.
“Unlike what would have happened if Rudolph and Pickett both remained, Fields has been told there will be no competition for the starting job in training camp.”
Unless the Steelers pick up Fields’ option or sign him to a new contract as Dulac proposed as a possibility, both of Pittsburgh’s top two quarterbacks will not be under contract for 2025.
Russell Wilson’s Potential Future in Pittsburgh
As the Steelers have learned, though, quarterback plans can quickly change. Without a doubt, how the 2024 season goes will impact Fields’ future. That’s true even if he doesn’t play much.
If Wilson leads the Steelers to the postseason and snaps the team’s 5-game playoff losing streak, then it’s difficult to foresee the Steelers not retaining Wilson for 2025.
Wilson’s next deal in Pittsburgh could be for multiple seasons.
“To some degree, it is a “show-me” contract, with Wilson wanting to prove he still has some gas in the tank as he nears his 36th birthday and the Steelers wanting to see if it is true,” wrote Dulac.
“But it is more than that. According to multiple sources, both Wilson and the Steelers intend to sign a longer-term deal after the season. How long is not known — Wilson said at his introductory press conference last week he plans to play another five to seven years — but both sides intend to have the arrangement extend beyond 2024.”
In that situation, it wouldn’t be surprising if Fields tested free agency in the hopes of finding another starting gig.
The scenario will be very different, though, if Wilson delivers an underwhelming 2024 performance. Fields returning to the Steelers as the team’s starter in 2025 is not off the table.
The Steelers have upgraded their quarterback room on paper this offseason. But the long-term uncertainty still exists.