The Pittsburgh Steelers have a pressing need, and that is to figure out who the starting quarterback will be for the 2025 season. Free agency opens up on March 12th as the new league year begins, and both starters from 2024 are slated to be on the open market. The Steelers should be prioritizing re-signing either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, but there are other external options that can be considered for the position. The organization has been rumored to favor Fields over Wilson, but it is likely keeping an eye on guys like Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and Daniel Jones.
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Steelers' Justin Fields and Russell Wilson ahead of a preseason game in 2024 against the Detroit Lions.
A large portion of the fan base in Pittsburgh wants to see Fields get the starting role in 2025, but the Steelers must do their due diligence with every potential candidate. This includes Darnold, who just wrapped up the best season of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold is the best quarterback that is expected to hit free agency, and he is going to be expensive. He hasn't been connected to the Steelers too much, but ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler is not ruling out Pittsburgh as a landing spot.
"There's not much momentum coming out of the [NFL Combine] that the Vikings will franchise tag Darnold, who should have multiple suitors if available," Fowler wrote. "The Giants, Raiders and Titans are among the logical options. And I'm not totally discounting the Steelers here -- not yet, at least. As one high-ranking official with a QB-needy team pointed out to me, Darnold won 14 games for the Vikings in 2024 and is the best option on the market by a wide margin."
The Vikings are in a weird spot with the quarterback position. Darnold was a Pro Bowler in 2024 and was even in some MVP conversations early in the season. It isn't often that fans will see a franchise move on from a quarterback like that, however the Vikings made an investment during the 2024 NFL Draft. That investment was in JJ McCarthy as the organization selected him with the 10th overall pick. Allowing Darnold to walk will clear the way for McCarthy to truly begin his career.
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Sam Darnold celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass for the Vikings in 2024.
There is no denying that Darnold had a great season with Minnesota in 2024, but the quarterback has struggled tremendously throughout his career up until that point. He will command a good chunk of money in free agency, and whichever team takes the bait is going to be making a serious gamble on the veteran quarterback.
The fact of the matter is that Darnold had seen little-to-no success in his career until he signed with Minnesota. It was a great story in 2024, but he was playing under a quarterback-friendly head coach in Kevin O'Connell while throwing to arguably the best wide receiver duo in the NFL in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He had a ton of help with the Vikings, and any team willing to sign the quarterback better make sure they have a great supporting cast.
Steelers Can Only Be In On Sam Darnold At The Right Price
According to Spotrac, Darnold is expected to command at least $40 million per season, and the quarterback is projected to sign a four-year deal. That is a large financial commitment for a player that has arguably had one good year in the NFL while entering his eighth season. The only world in which the Steelers should agree to add a player like Darnold is if his market is basically non-existent, meaning the franchise could land him for a large discount.
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Vikings' Sam Darnold stands during the National Anthem before a game in 2024.
Darnold could play amazing for the rest of his career, but Pittsburgh does not currently have enough reliable offensive weapons to warrant signing the veteran to a lucrative deal. There is still a chance that the Vikings will franchise tag Darnold, but a decision must be made in that regard by March 4th.
What would you think if the Steelers signed Darnold? Let us know in the comments below!
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