What might a new contract for the former first-round pick look like, even though the Steelers are willing to keep Justin Fields?
One could argue that the Steelers should completely redo this room again because they are having trouble at quarterback once more. Last season, they brought in Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, who on paper were a huge step up from Kenny Pickett but didn’t look great. Fields was benched for Wilson and collapsed in the closing minutes.
The team seems willing to make Fields the starter, though, based on recent remarks from Mike Tomlin. Given his youth, that makes sense, but after turning to Wilson, the team was happy to keep him on the bench for the majority of the season, so returning to Fields makes some sense.
The Steelers are once again struggling at the quarterback position. They completely upheaved the room last year and brought in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. On paper, this was a massive step up from Kenny Pickett, and while both proved to be more dynamic, neither looked great.
Fields was benched for Wilson, and he collapsed down the stretch. An argument can be made to completely redo this room once again.
Based on recent comments from Mike Tomlin though, the team appears open to making Fields the starter. Given his youth, that makes sense, but the team was content with keeping him on the bench for most of the season after they turned to Wilson. The last stretch of play was brutal though, so going back to Fields has some logic to it.
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So what does a future with Fields look like?
There is a lot to consider. He is also a free agent this year, so he will likely have options. If the Steelers want him back, they will need to make him a serious offer and give him some security as a starter.
What would a new deal like for the Steelers?
The first issue to navigate is that Pittsburgh will want to sign Fields to a multi-year deal, while he will want a shorter deal to showcase his value. The easy compromise is a two-year deal here, with an out for the team next year. Pittsburgh is notorious for this with roster bonuses due before the new league year starts. Play good enough, you earn that money, if not, the team can cut bait.
Now, in order for Fields to agree to a deal like this, it has to be a fair value for him. He won’t lock himself up for multiple years for cheap just to stay in Pittsburgh. He will also want some semblance of starter money.
I used Over the Cap’s contract builder to come up with a fair deal. The base of it is two years worth 49 million overall with a 25 million dollar signing bonus. Giving him a small salary in year one would only give him a cap hit of around 14 million dollars. A reasonable number, and one that allows you to add talent around him still.
Year two would include a 10 million dollar roster bonus as well as an elevated salary. Essentially, he is playing for the rest of the deal in 2025. If he earns it, his cap hit would be 35 million dollars next year. If you are comfortable keeping him though, a legitimate long-term deal could be negotiated to lower that cap hit.
If he doesn’t live up to the deal, you can cut him having only paid him just over 25 million dollars for the one year. This allows Fields to hit the open market and sign with whoever. Ideally, he takes those steps to be a franchise passer, but this deal protects the team if not.
Why the focus on 25 million a season? Geno Smith has that average, and I feel like that is fair value for someone you plan on starting the whole year. It may seem pricy, but you get a lot of cap space flexibility in this deal, and it should keep Fields happy with the fair salary. It also doesn’t deplete a lot of your cap space, allowing for other bigger off-season moves.
I’m still not convinced that Fields is going to be the Steelers guy, but if he is the plan, a deal like this makes sense. He gets a fair amount of money, and even if he only lasts one year, he still makes over 25 million dollars. The Steelers get a full season to see what they have, and if he earns it, he is locked up for at least another year.
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Which direction should the Steelers go under center?
After the Pittsburgh Steelers dropped their Wild Card matchup with the Baltimore Ravens over the weekend, all eyes immediately shifted toward the offseason.
Pittsburgh has some major questions to answer in the coming weeks and months, whether we’re talking about head coach Mike Tomlin, the quarterback position or even the rest of the coaching staff.
Everyone is going to have their gut reaction to the loss and what exactly went wrong for the Steelers this season. Plenty of predictions and theories will come out until moves are actually made. But, one thing is undoubtedly certain: the Steelers need to figure out the most important position in the game.
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak made his big Steelers offseason prediction in a recent column, noting that he believes Pittsburgh is going to re-sign quarterback Russell Wilson to a short-term deal this spring. But, that’s not the only prediction he made in regards to the Steelers’ quarterback room.
“I also predict Pittsburgh will draft a quarterback in the first three rounds in April,” Solak finished.
That’s an interesting thought, but the real question is, will a quarterback be picked earlier rather than later? Where the quarterback is selected is going to have an impact on the immediate and long-term future of this club.
Could Mike Tomlin save his job by guaranteeing a major quarterback move?
While re-signing Wilson does make sense on one hand, there’s a larger issue at hand. Mike Tomlin appears to be safe after the team’s Wild Card loss, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that he has been at the helm of a 6-game postseason losing streak.
Many fans are tired of settling for “good enough,” but not good enough to win when it counts. If Tomlin wants to ensure his job is safe for years to come, would it make sense for the Steelers to go out and make a big move at quarterback?
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This year’s draft class isn’t necessarily a strong one when it comes to the quarterback position, but Pittsburgh could at least try. They’re slotted in at the no. 21 pick in the first round. It’s probably impossible for them to move up high enough to draft Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, but there’s another prospect garnering a lot of steam.
Maybe someone like Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart could be within range for the Steelers. He very well could be a draft riser and find his way into the top 10 or top 15, which means the Steelers would have to trade up for Dart.
But, making a bold move like that might just be enough to help Tomlin stick around even longer.
If you look at some of the recent draft narratives, Dart’s name is one that continues to rise. Some experts even like him more than Sanders or Ward because of his intangibles at the position.
Now, Dart is no guarantee by any means. However, a big, bold move like this would be one to catch fans off guard and potentially help secure Tomlin’s job beyond 2025.
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