Steelers Rumored to Have Made a Choice at QB for 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Dible | Last updated Mar 1, 2025 4:30 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers could go in several different directions under center next season, though it appears now that the team is leaning heavily toward one option.

Pittsburgh selects 21st in the NFL draft, which isn't a good spot to get value at QB. Only Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders have first-round grades, and while Jalen Milroe or Jaxson Dart could vault into the first round simply because of the importance of the position, neither would be a strong value pick in the early 20s.

The Steelers could also look to free agency, where Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers should be available, among others. Reasonable arguments can be made that with an upgrade over Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh has a defense good enough for the front office to build a true contender around.

Then there is the option of bringing Wilson back. However, the 36-year-old is rumored to want a multiyear deal and has a projected market value of $39 million annually, per Spotrac. The Steelers know precisely what they have in Wilson after last season, and that was fine when he was playing on a league minimum and the Denver Broncos were footing the remainder of the nearly $40 million on his 2024 deal. But Pittsburgh paying him that much in 2025/2026 doesn't appear to be a recipe for true contention.

That leaves Justin Fields, the fifth-year pro and former No. 11 pick of the Chicago Bears for whom Pittsburgh traded a conditional sixth-rounder last offseason. Fields was a successful dual-threat QB for the Steelers in six starts, going 4-2 and showing an improved skill set as a passer.

Pittsburgh decided to bench Fields for Wilson when the latter became healthy enough to start, but Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda wrote on Friday, Feb. 28, that the Steelers' preference is to bring Fields back.

“Several people who met with the team tell me the sense is that Pittsburgh hopes to move forward with Justin Fields, who they wanted to win the starting job last season," Pauline wrote.

Fields will officially become a free agent on March 12 and will be allowed to negotiate with other teams two days before that. The Steelers can stop that from happening by agreeing to an extension with Fields ahead of those dates, though the question of value remains prevalent.

Spotrac projects Fields' market value at $6.4 million over one year. However, if that's the type of offer Pittsburgh makes, the quarterback would retain enough incentive to hit free agency and at least see what else is out there, as several franchises are looking for a starter this offseason.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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