Steelers GM names 'ideal scenario' for Russell Wilson, Justin Fields situation

Back in January, Pittsburgh Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II said that his "preference" for the club's quarterback situation would be to re-sign either current starter Russell Wilson or backup Justin Fields.

Steelers general manager Omar Khan echoed Rooney while speaking with reporters at the NFL combine on Tuesday. 

"We’ve had conversations with both Russ' people and Justin's representatives," Khan explained, as shared by Nick Farabaugh of PennLive. "Ideally, you’d like to sign one of the guys we had last year, but the reality is they’re both free agents." 

Both Wilson and Fields could officially begin speaking with other clubs when the free-agent negotiating window opens on March 10. They could sign deals with different teams at any point after the new league year starts on March 12.

"In an ideal scenario, you’d like to have this done before the start of the league year," Khan continued. "That impacts who you sign. That impacts the type of receiver you may go after or how you build the rest of the team, so all of that has an effect."

Fields guided the Steelers to four wins across the first six weeks of the 2024 season as Wilson recovered from a calf injury. Wilson then went 6-1 as a starter before the team endured a five-game losing streak, during which his working relationship with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith allegedly soured. 

The perception exists that Smith favors Fields, while head coach Mike Tomlin "feels a commitment or a loyalty to Wilson." Khan indicated he'd be fine with having either Wilson or Fields in the QB1 spot of the depth chart when springtime workouts get underway. 

"I truly believe those guys understand that we want to put whoever the quarterback is under center in the best position to succeed," Khan added about Wilson and Fields. "For us to add our pieces, that’s the first part of this."

While Khan insisted he's keeping "all options" on the table with neither Wilson nor Fields locked down, it certainly sounds like Pittsburgh possibly pursuing an outsider such as Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams or Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings is a "plan B." It remains to be seen if Khan would pivot away from Wilson and Fields if both are still unsigned as of the morning of March 10.