Steelers see silver lining that could pay huge dividends after missing out on Justin Fields

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a weird go of things so far during the legal-tampering period of free agency. 

The organization ignited the fan base on Sunday night by acquiring wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks, but the franchise missed out on re-signing Justin Fields, as the quarterback reportedly chose the New York Jets on Monday. The fan base is on edge after losing out on Fields as the quarterback position looks bleak in Pittsburgh for the 2025 season.

Fields got more money than most expected, as he agreed to a two-year deal with New York. The deal is reportedly worth $40M with $30M guaranteed. Losing out on Fields is not ideal, but the fact that he landed a fairly large contract is good for the Steelers when it comes to being awarded compensatory picks. 

Team insider Mark Kaboly pointed this out on X on Monday:

"Steelers lose Dan Moore, Donte Jackson and Justin Fields to contracts worth a total of $135M," Kaboly wrote. "They are definitely on pace to get substantial compensatory pick(s)."

So far, Pittsburgh has lost Fields, Dan Moore Jr. and Donte Jackson in free agency. In total, those three players reportedly agreed to contracts worth roughly $135M, which should grant the Steelers some compensatory picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Pittsburgh's free agents signing for big money elsewhere is huge for the organization landing additional draft picks, but there are some other factors when it comes to being awarded compensatory draft picks. One of the deciding factors is the percentage of snaps played on either offense or defense the prior season. This is good for Pittsburgh, as Moore played nearly 99% of the offensive snaps, Fields played 62% and Jackson played 81% of the snaps on defense. 

All factors are aligning for the Steelers to have some more draft capital during the 2026 NFL Draft, and this can be used to improve the roster or as part of a trade. These picks will be awarded in the 2026 draft, although it is unclear what picks they will be. Compensatory picks can range anywhere from the third round to the seventh round, but Pittsburgh should be able to get more than one based on how things have gone so far in free agency.

Steelers can use compensatory picks to address quarterback problem

There is a solid chance that the Steelers will have just as many questions at the quarterback position during the 2026 offseason as the organization does currently. If that is the case, these picks can come in handy when it comes to trading up in the draft to potentially select a franchise quarterback.

The quarterback class in the 2025 NFL Draft is not impressive, although Pittsburgh may be able to find some value in the later rounds. There are some impressive prospects that will be entering the draft in 2026, including Arch Manning, Drew Allar, Nico Iamaleava and LaNorris Sellers. 

All four of those prospects could have a chance of going in the first round, with Manning likely leading the way. The Steelers typically do not lose enough games to be in a spot to select a premier quarterback, so having the additional capital can prove to be useful.

Hopefully a miracle occurs that allows the Steelers to fix their quarterback issues in the near future, but if not, the 2026 NFL Draft is the next place to look. Pittsburgh should be set up nicely to make a move for a quarterback when the time comes, and part of the reasoning for that is missing out on players like Fields, Moore and Jackson.