Steelers Likely Looking At A "Jordan Love Contract Situation" With New Quarterback Justin Fields

The Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan have made headlines for the majority of the 2024 offseason. In terms of the quarterback room, the first big move was agreeing to terms with potential Hall of Fame candidate, Russell Wilson. The domino effect that followed was not expected by anyone. Kenny Pickett requested a trade after fearing a little bit of competition and then Khan swindled the Chicago Bears once again, acquiring Justin Fields for a conditional sixth-round pick. The moves were well-received by all, but now the top two signal-callers are likely to be only under team control for the 2024 season.

The Steelers have to, and will decide on, Fields' fifth-year option for the 2025 season. Due to his position, the asking price would be $22.6 million. That's a hefty tag for a guy who isn't even expected to begin the 2024 campaign as the starter. There is some kind of precedent for the situation, however, and the Green Bay Packers set it recently.

On Wednesday, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette held one of his weekly chats for fans to chime in and asked questions about things going on inside the team's building. Someone brought up Fields' fifth-year option and was wondering if the organization will decide to take the same approach as the Packers did with Jordan Love.

"I think your final question is most likely," Dulac wrote. "They will not exercise his fifth-year option, not at $22.6 million."

That "final question" was regarding an approach similar to the one the Packers had with Love. It's an interesting situation, but Pittsburgh may be able to get Fields at a relatively low price for an extra season or two given his career record of just 10-28. 

Instead of exercising Love's fifth-year option, Green Bay decided to decline it and reward him with a one-year extension worth $13.5 million in guarantees and up to $22.5 million overall. It was a prove-it deal after sitting behind Aaron Rodgers for as long as he did, and now he is set to earn a massive extension soon.

Many of these things aren't likely to be decided until the 2025 offseason, but Pittsburgh will have to decide on Fields' option by early May. There is potentially a world where they hold off on an extension to avoid upsetting Wilson and enter February of 2025 trying to decide once again who the quarterback of the future is. It will be interesting to see what Khan and co. do.

There is always the franchise tag option as a last resort, but Pittsburgh wouldn't have traded for Fields if they didn't see it possible for him to be the quarterback of the future. It really might all come down to how well Wilson plays during his one-year deal. If he plays poorly, he could be benched and that would give Fields a chance to earn a big contract.

If Wilson is successful, the Steelers will need to decide if a 35-year old is worth extending, or if they saw enough from Fields in practice to move forward with him as the guy going forward. There are a lot of moving parts to the situation, but it's worth noting that Dulac believes the most likely option is an extension for Fields. The question becomes: when will that occur?

Steelers' Moves At Quarterback Display Desperation To Change Direction Of Franchise

Regardless of who ends up starting the majority of games for Pittsburgh in 2024, Khan sent a strong message when he released Mitch Trubisky, let Mason Rudolph walk in free agency and traded Pickett. The revamp leaves the room in a much better position. The question now becomes about the future. Is Wilson going to play in the Steel City until he's 40, or is Fields the long-term answer?

Do you want the Steelers to decline Fields' fifth-year option and then extend him immediately? Let us know in the comments below!

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