The Pittsburgh Steelers are keeping the fans on the edge of their seat when it comes to the quarterback situation heading into the 2025 offseason. Every quarterback that was on the active roster in 2024 is set to hit free agency in 2025, however Team President Art Rooney II has already shared that the team plans on bringing back either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson. The organization will have a couple of other options as well if it cannot strike a deal with either quarterback before free agency begins, including some veteran free agents.
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Steelers' Justin Fields runs against the Eagles during Week 15 of the 2024 season.
Aside from Wilson and Fields, another talked about quarterback who doesn't have a home for the 2025 season is Sam Darnold. The former first-round pick spent the 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings, and he had the best year of his career by far. He was ultimately named to the Pro Bowl, and he led the Vikings to 14 regular season wins.
After years of trials and tribulations, Darnold proved he can be a high-quality starting quarterback in the NFL. Former NFL defensive end Chris Canty believes the Steelers need to sign the quarterback, which he shared during a recent episode of ESPN's Unsportsmanlike.
"If Sam Darnold goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think that's a team that can contend for the AFC North title." Canty said. "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."
All fans in Pittsburgh want at this point is a little bit of postseason success for the Steelers, as the team hasn't advanced in the playoffs since the 2016 season. It has been an embarrassing stretch of years for Pittsburgh, but Canty believes Darnold could at least have them finishing at the top of the AFC North. The quarterback fizzled out at the end of the 2024 season, and it is hard to believe he would be as successful in Pittsburgh with less weapons.
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Sam Darnold celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass for the Vikings in 2024.
Darnold was one of the nicer stories during the 2024 season throughout the NFL. He had struggled throughout the first six seasons of his career, but he showed his value as a backup during the 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers. This led to the quarterback signing a one-year deal in Minnesota, where it was assumed he would at some point be supplanted by rookie JJ McCarthy.
McCarthy is what makes Darnold's situation so interesting. He suffered a season-ending knee injury before his rookie year even began, and the organization selected him with the 10th overall pick. The Vikings have to see what they have in the rookie, or else it would be a no-brainer to bring back Darnold.
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Sam Darnold during his time with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Steelers Need To Move Forward With Fields
Pittsburgh has been putting a bandaid on the quarterback position for far too long. The organization needs to find the future at the position, and Fields might just be that. Darnold may not be anything more than a bridge quarterback, and he would be far more expensive than Fields. According to Spotrac, Darnold is expected to earn roughly $40 million per year on his next deal while Fields is projected to earn just $6.4 million per season.
Fields has the potential to be the next franchise quarterback in Pittsburgh, and he fits the mold of the modern-day quarterback. He is one of the best runners at the position in the entire league, which is a big reason the Steelers need to work on getting a deal done.
What do you think about Darnold possibly being the next quarterback for the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!
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