NFL analysts believe the Steelers may be forced into a bidding war if they want to keep top free agent QB on their roster
The Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly lean closer to naming Justin Fields their 2025 QB by the day. With one big fish lurking via trade, the team has been hesitant to go all in on Fields as their starter come September. But if Pittsburgh waits much longer, Fields could be on a new team in a matter […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly lean closer to naming Justin Fields their 2025 QB by the day.
With one big fish lurking via trade, the team has been hesitant to go all in on Fields as their starter come September.
But if Pittsburgh waits much longer, Fields could be on a new team in a matter of weeks…
Justin Fields' free agency prospects could pull him from the Steelers
Fields is free agency's best QB value for two main reasons. For starters, he's projected to receive a deal within the range of $6.4-$8.5 million, which is a steal, even for an experienced backup. Gardner Minshew signed a $12.5 million per year deal during the 2024 offseason and he's far less talented than Fields. He also had 37 career starts compared to Fields' 38 coming into the 2024 season and was benched later in the year. Sure, Fields was replaced by Russell Wilson, but that was strictly a result of design, not performance. Meaning, the above price range, or even Pro Football Focus' projection of $11 million per year, is a value that's nearly impossible to pass up.
Fields is as dynamic as they come and will only be 26-years-old when the 2025 season starts. Starting potential remains, as well, which is rare for a QB prospect mostly projected to make less than $10 million per year and that's why he's on this list.
Evan Winter & Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports NFL
If the Steelers let Fields walk, and he signs elsewhere for anywjhere close to $6-8m APY, the Steelers should be ashamed of themselves. This was a player that willed the team to victory against the Los Angeles Chargers, and if not for a botched C-QB exchange against the Indianapolis Colts, Fields would have likely only dropped a single game in his six starts.
At only 25, with some of the best running ability in the league and highlighting elite arm talent, signing Fields to be a starter at less than $10m per year is an absolute steal. No one is saying he's Josh Allen, but no one is saying that you pay him like he is.
In an age where Trevor Lawrence and Derek Carr sign for $40-55m a year, locking up fields for a fraction of that cost but at a similar if not better level of play is the kind of no-brainer you would think the Steelers understand.
This isn't some high-stakes bid for a marquee free agent. We're talking about haggling over pennies in an NFL sense if the projected figures are accurate. And with more than enough in cap space in 2025, if Fields is gone, it will be because the Steelers didn't want to pay him.
