The Pittsburgh Steelers have to make a monumental decision at the quarterback position. Do they keep Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields? Or explore another option in free agency?
Yes, the Steelers qualified for the playoffs in 2024. Yes, Pittsburgh started out 10-3. Yes, Wilson and Fields both provided a few wow moments.
Yet, the end result wasn’t good enough. The Steelers collapsed down the stretch and resembled a wounded duck when it mattered most. It appears as if the franchise might be ready to get a new starting quarterback.
PFSN Predicts Major Free Agent Signing for Steelers: Sam Darnold
The Steelers own the No. 21 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, so it’s highly unlikely they will be able to find a future franchise quarterback that late in Round 1. They would be wise to re-stock the coffers at another offensive position, like wide receiver — Missouri’s Luther Burden III has been mocked to them.
However, Pittsburgh will have decent options to upgrade at quarterback in free agency. PFSN’s Ben Rolfe released his NFL free agent predictions for 2025 and picked an interesting name for the Steelers to consider: Sam Darnold.
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Interesting, right? Darnold was lightning in a bottle for the Vikings last season. He threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns while posting a 66.2% completion percentage in 17 starts.
The 27-year-old also qualified for his first Pro Bowl while leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record and the NFC’s No. 5 seed. With J.J. McCarthy — the No. 10 overall pick in 2024 — waiting in the wings, Darnold is potentially out of a job.
Here’s what Rolfe wrote: “The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a tricky spot entering 2025. They did just well enough in 2024 to suggest that they should not tear it all down but were far enough away that they need to add in multiple spots if they are to challenge for a Super Bowl.
“They need to figure out a quarterback but also have to improve at wide receiver while filling holes at running back, left tackle, and cornerback. Based on last year, it is fairly obvious that Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are not taking this team over the hump.
“However, they were not blessed with the biggest talent around them, so even if the Steelers upgraded at the position, they should still consider adding someone like Chris Godwin or Keenan Allen as a reliable pass catcher.
“If Wilson and Fields are not coming back, then the best free agent quarterback is Sam Darnold. Playing for the Vikings last year, Darnold produced his best season, finishing as the QB12 in our QB+ metric — above both Wilson and Fields. He still needs help to elevate this team to a deep playoff run, but Darnold would allow the Steelers to remain competitive in 2025.”
SAM DARNOLD 2024 Highlights
4,319 Yards | 35 TD | 19 TO
66.2% | 7.9 YPA | 102.5 Rating | 60.4 QBR
212 Yards | 3.2 YPC | Rush TD | 48 Sacks pic.twitter.com/ZO1vwU1WhH— Tommy R. Callahan III (@yalltitanup) February 19, 2025
It’s not a choice to be taken lightly. Darnold could earn an estimated $37.5 million in free agency.
Meanwhile, Rolfe has the New York Jets “taking a shot” on Fields as their possible quarterback of the future. And Wilson is predicted to go to the Tennessee Titans, maybe as a placeholder for top draft pick Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward.
“The Titans could need a bridge quarterback this season,” Rolfe wrote. “Wilson would bring some stability to the quarterback room and is not a quarterback who will upset the fanbase every week with bad throws.”
Rolfe also lists Alaric Jackson, Tyron Smith, Chris Godwin, Keenan Allen, J.K. Dobbins, and D.J. Reed as other free agents for Pittsburgh to potentially target this offseason.
NFL Insider Believes Russell Wilson Could Still Re-Sign Steelers
While Darnold makes sense for Pittsburgh, don’t count out Wilson returning to Pittsburgh. ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided a new update on how everything might play out there on his podcast. Wilson believes there’s still a chance he suits up for the Steelers.
“He still thinks that despite the reports to the contrary there’s a realistic chance he’s going to be back in Pittsburgh,” Schefter told co-host Ty Schmitt. “He’s operating like he’s definitely interested in being there.”
While Wilson re-signing is still possible, Schefter’s ESPN colleague Damien Woody believes that’s the wrong move for Pittsburgh.
Appearing on ESPN’s “Get Up,” the two-time Super Bowl champion didn’t mince words when discussing the Steelers’ offense, which he believes is a long way short of their rivals.
“Yeah, listen. You can’t stand pat. They need a bold move,” Woody said. “The Pittsburgh Steelers, if you look at them offensively, outside of the wide receiver, they don’t have anyone that scares you. [George] Pickens, outside of him, there’s no one that scares you.”
Considered an ascending star with jaw-dropping ability at the catch point, Pickens has been the obvious target for Steelers quarterbacks since the team traded away Diontae Johnson before the 2024 NFL season.
"They need a bold move."
—@damienwoody on the Steelers this offseason pic.twitter.com/aquSgAYLUU
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 21, 2025
But rather than helping Pickens by adding a second star receiver to spread the attention of opposing defenses, Woody thinks Pittsburgh should go bigger.
“And so, if you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, you need to make a bold move at quarterback,” Woody said. “Russell Wilson is not gonna work; Justin Fields is not gonna work.
“You need to go out and make some type of bold move to bring some juice to this offense… they just don’t score enough points, consistently. If you’re gonna have any shot at beating teams in your division, the Baltimores, the Cincinnatis, the Kansas Citys, you need to be able to score points consistently.”
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While not one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NFL in 2024, Pittsburgh ranked 16th in points per game with 22.4. Pittsburgh’s defense, though, ranked eighth in points allowed per game with 20.41. Pittsburgh’s Offense+ grade was 67.5 (25th in the NFL) while their Defense+ was 78.7 (12th).
Also, Wilson ranked 17th in the NFL in PFSN’s QB+ metric, with a 75.3 (C) grade. Fields didn’t qualify since he didn’t appear in enough games, but his 78.1 (C+) grade wasn’t much better.
“There’s been too much pressure on the Steelers’ defense to try and hold other teams down,” Woody said.
Those statistics back up what Woody was saying, and with so many offensive pieces headed for free agency, the Steelers could be fielding a completely revamped offense in 2025.