Steelers' best bet at starting QB in 2025 may be to start from scratch with former top 10 pick coming off career year
To this point in the offseason, the discussion revolving around who will be the starting QB of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been Justin Fields vs. Russell Wilson. There is also the possibility of a mid-late round selection in the NFL Draft, but no one is really talking about external candidates, and certainly not Sam Darnold […]
To this point in the offseason, the discussion revolving around who will be the starting QB of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been Justin Fields vs. Russell Wilson.
There is also the possibility of a mid-late round selection in the NFL Draft, but no one is really talking about external candidates, and certainly not Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings.
Well, that probably should change…
Steelers Better off Pursuing Sam Darnold in 2025?
"If Sam Darnold goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think that's a team that can contend for the AFC North title." ESPN analyst Chris Canty said on Unsportsmanlike. "But when we start talking about what their postseason ceiling is, I don't think it's much higher than what we've seen over the past decade. I think Sam Darnold is a bridge, I don't think he is going to be your future franchise quarterback. I think you already have somebody that fits that profile as a reclamation project in Justin Fields."
After bouncing around the league for the first six years of his career, Darnold was thrust into starting role when rookie J.J. McCarthy went down with a knee injury in camp, and he never looked back.
Darnold threw for a career-high in yards and TDs, lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record and earned a Pro Bowl nod under the guidance of Kevin O'Connell.
So to learn more about the viability of Darnold outside of Minnesota, I reached out to one of the best in all of Vikings coverage…
Sam Darnold had a fantastic season, but the context of why he was so successful hasn't been discussed enough. Kevin O'Connell was brilliant in elevating Darnold to this high of a level, but the why behind it is very important.
Both O'Connell and Darnold have one thing in common: they love taking deep shots and it manifested in the most efficient and explosive passing offense on throws that travel 20+ yards. If you want to get this kind of performance out of Darnold again, it needs to come from a team that both has a similar scheme and embraces the chaos that can come with Darnold's aggressive tendencies.
Arthur Smith has that scheme, but will he embrace those tendencies? That's a great question and one we can't answer for certain until the situation arises.
-Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Minnesota
So the decision isn't easy for Pittsburgh. Darnold had a season that Justin Fields never has, Russell Wilson is nearly 10 years Darnold's senior, and no rookie QB in this year's class will put up those kinds of numbers.
So Darnold might be the best best, but it all depends on how much it costs.
