How Rams' Matthew Stafford could impact Steelers' Russell Wilson, Justin Fields situation

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields remain on track to reach free agency when the new league year opens on March 12. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams looks to secure a pay raise via a restructured contract from his current employer or a team such as the New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders. 

During a Thursday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discussed how the Stafford situation could impact Pittsburgh's quarterback room for the 2025 season.

"I think it's probably somewhere in the range of $25M-$30M (per season) max," Fittipaldo said about how much the Steelers are willing to spend on an available quarterback this offseason, Steelers Depot's Troy Montgomery shared. "I don't think they're gonna go above $30M. The unfortunate thing for the Steelers is I don't think Russ' agents wanna make a deal until they know what Matthew Stafford's gonna get paid."

Stafford is due to make $27M next season but is reportedly looking to earn closer to $50M per year. It seems unlikely either Wilson or Fields would receive a similar deal if they reach free agency, and recent reports have suggested that Fields "is the guy" Pittsburgh truly wants. 

With that said, history shows that quarterback-needy teams often "overpay" signal-callers based on the market and on who is available at any given time. Some thought back in December that Wilson could land a contract similar to the three-year, $100M deal with a maximum value of $115M that Baker Mayfield signed to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason.

If the Steelers truly aren't willing to go that high, both Wilson and Fields could welcome the opportunity to speak with other teams when the free-agent negotiating window opens on March 10.

"Russell Wilson's made a lot of money in this league," Fittipaldo added. "He may not wanna play for $15M a season. ...How could you begrudge a guy if he truly doesn't wanna play for a certain amount of money? I do know the Steelers aren't gonna go above a certain number. I don't think it's gonna be crazy."

For an article published Friday morning, ESPN's Aaron Schatz predicted that Fields and Wilson will sign with different clubs next month. If it's true that the Steelers don't want to lock any of the to-be free-agent quarterbacks down via a lengthy big-money deal, perhaps they will reach out to Aaron Rodgers about possibly signing a team-friendly contract once his divorce from the New York Jets is finalized.