The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the offseason looking to fill the most important position in all of professional sports, the quarterback. Team Owner Art Rooney II said in his end-of-season press conference “After the coaching staff is in place, the priority will be the quarterback position”. With no major changes expected to come to the coaching staff, I’ll get a head start looking at options for the Steelers 2025 starting QB.
Starting QB Options
Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson‘s 2024 season was well-documented. Taking over as the starter for Justin Fields despite the team being 4-2, Wilson won six of his first seven starts, before the eventual collapse. The Steelers lost their final five games, including a 28-14 playoff loss to the division rival Ravens.
Although Wilson appears adamant about returning to the Steelers in 2025, reports indicate otherwise.
This was backed up by Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports, who is well connected within the Steelers building and said flat out there is “No chance” Wilson returns. The Steelers will move on from Wilson, but who will step in as the starter in 2025?
Trevor Lawrence
Reports surfaced yesterday that the Steelers brass reached out to the Jacksonville Jaguars to check on the availability of QB Trevor Lawrence. Nothing has surfaced about how far the talks went, but with no follow-up news, one can only speculate it didn’t go far.
The Jaguars hired former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen to be their new head coach in order to maximize Lawrence’s ability. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield had his most productive season of his career under Coen’s tutelage and Jaguars ownership is hoping for the same progression in Trevor Lawrence’s game.
Working out this would-be blockbuster trade feels unrealistic, but my takeaway from it is that the Steelers are serious about finding their new franchise QB. These caliber QBs generally are not available but it shows that General Manager Omar Khan is leaving no stone unturned in his attempt to find one.
Justin Fields
The initial starter in 2024 (due to Wilson’s injury) looks to be the front-runner to be brought back and start once again in 2025, this time perhaps without any real competition.
After the season, Head Coach Mike Tomlin endorsed Fields as a potential part of the plan moving forward – “I thought he got continually better within our system, evolved throughout the process. I thought the way he conducted himself made that a legitimate thought or idea to structure (of the quarterback room in 2025).”
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith enjoyed working with Fields and said he was “Extremely coachable” and “Extremely bright“. If Smith could tailor-make an offense to take advantage of Fields’ elite athleticism while progressing his ability as a passer, it would go a long way in creating stability at the position for the future.
A more modern scheme utilizing Fields’ athletic ability would be welcomed by many in Pittsburgh as well.
NFL Draft
I expect the Steelers to look closely at the QB prospects in the upcoming NFL draft. Cam Ward (Miami) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) headline the class and are expected to be top 5 picks, which is far out of the Steelers’ reach at pick #21. It would take a king’s ransom of picks and/or players to move that far forward in the draft. It’s a move too aggressive for the Steelers to make.
There are several day two and day three QBs the Steelers could have interest in. Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), Jalen Milroe (Alabama), and Will Howard (Ohio State) round out PFF’s top 100 prospects, but are all developmental projects that are not NFL-ready.
I expect Omar Khan to pull the trigger on a QB at some point during the draft, however it is unclear exactly where. This class is generally viewed as weak for QBs, which makes it a bad time to be in dire need of one. Whoever they select, he won’t be viewed as the starter for 2025.
Aaron Rodgers
It may be unknown whether or not Aaron Rodgers intends to play in 2025, but what is known is that he will not be playing for the New York Jets. It was reported this week that the Jets will not retain Rodgers, leaving his future destination in question.
To the chagrin of many, DraftKings has the Steelers as the early favorite to land the future Hall of Fame QB.
Rodgers is no doubt an odd character and goes by the beat of his own drum, but all things considered, he put together a respectfully productive 2024 campaign (68% comp., 3,800+ yds, 28/11 TD/INT) despite the Jets’ season-long woes.
Bringing in a 41-year-old bridge QB may not be a popular decision, but he’s proven that he can still play. He could also provide valuable mentorship to a potential draft pick spent on a developmental QB. He holds those around him to a high standard and could come along with a certain WR1 who could bring some mentorship of his own – to a WR room that desperately needs it.
There are far worse QB scenarios for 2025 than this one, not to mention, that Rodgers and Tomlin have both shown an appreciation of each other in the past.
Matthew Stafford
Rumors have recently circulated that the Rams may move on from Matthew Stafford in a rebuilding effort for 2025. That being the case, naturally, the Steelers have already been tied to him as a conceivable landing spot.
If he is truly available, much like Rodgers, I expect the Steelers to at least kick the tires on the possibility of acquiring him. At 37 years old, Stafford will want to win now. The Steelers may not feel very close to being a contender after their collapse, but they were 10-3 two weeks into December and had the top seed in the AFC within reach.
I don’t foresee Stafford being moved, but if he is, he could be exactly what the Steelers need to get some consistent, high-level play from the QB position.
Sam Darnold
Darnold is set to be an unrestricted free agent after a breakout season where he led the Vikings to a 14-3 record behind 4,319 yards and 36 total TDs. With 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy looming, Minnesota may not bring Darnold back which would make him the top QB on the market.
PFF projects his contract to reach $41.25 million per season, which could be too steep of an asking price for the Steelers who are predicted to have just around $40 mil in available cap space in 2025. Of course, money can always be shifted to create more space when needed.
A lot of Darnold’s recent success has been credited to 2024 Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell. Regarded by many as a QB whisperer, it will be interesting to see if Sam Darnold can duplicate his success elsewhere. I’m afraid right now the Steelers coaching staff doesn’t lend itself to having any “QB whisperers” in place to maximize Darnold’s talent.
Free Agent QBs
There is a long list of QBs who are scheduled to become free agents, none of which are overwhelmingly exciting to think of as starters in 2025.
| Jacoby Brissett |
| Andy Dalton |
| Joe Flacco |
| Jimmy Garoppolo |
| Taylor Heinicke |
| Mac Jones |
| Drew Lock |
| Marcus Mariota |
| Jameis Winston |
These QBs come with loads of NFL experience. Some with playoff and even Super Bowl experience, but none jump off the page as even a satisfactory solution as a QB1. Each of these veterans would be an asset as an experienced QB2. Could be extremely beneficial if there is a young QB in the building, especially one who could be the future starter.
However, none of these players will get the Steelers over their playoff win drought – which is the first step in obtaining their ultimate goal.
My Thoughts
Mike Tomlin famously told 2020 #2 overall pick Chase Young “I don’t ever want to lose enough games to get a guy like you”. Well, he’s probably right, which is why the Steelers are so deeply entrenched in quarterback purgatory. Only a disastrous season could result in a draft pick high enough to select an NFL-ready college talent and despite their playoff-winning woes, they just are not in rough enough shape to be picked in the top 5 anytime soon.
All signs continuously point to Justin Fields. He’s obtainable, affordable, young, and familiar with the team and coaching staff. He’s shown that he can be a winner and wants to be in Pittsburgh.
With a fair amount of cap space (~$40M) and draft capital, the Steelers are in a position to improve the offense around him and build it to his strengths. A short-term contract allows Fields to cash in if it goes well while allowing the team to move on if it doesn’t.
It’s an important offseason for the Steelers and Mike Tomlin as his seat is as hot as it’s ever been. Another failure at getting the QB position right could cause wholesale changes to the magnitude the Steelers have not seen for almost 20 years.