"No Reason" Steelers' Justin Fields Hasn't Signed Yet If The Money Is More

The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping to finalize a deal with either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields for 2025. Both Wilson and Fields were in the Steel City on one-year contracts in 2024, and both had an opportunity to start for a chunk of last season. It seemed as if Wilson would be the top candidate when he took over for a 4-2 Fields and got the team to 10-3. Unfortunately, a late-season collapse caused his stock to drop and spotlighted several areas of concern on the roster. 

That has thrust Fields into the spotlight, with most insiders believing the team would prefer the younger, more athletic quarterback over Wilson. However, as General Manager Omar Khan said, they are both free agents. This means either or both could get better offers from one of the many other teams desperately seeking a quarterback. 

Adam Schefter said that he believes the Steelers are pressing to get a deal done with one of them prior to the start of free agency on Wednesday, March 12th, or even before when legal tampering begins on Monday, March 10th. Former NFL General Manager Doug Whaley, who used to work for the Steelers under Kevin Colbert, recently joined The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan. They asked him if there was any reason why the players would want to sign with Pittsburgh before the start of free agency.  

"Make no mistake about it, this legal tampering period, it's just for the optics of it," explained Whaley. "Last week at the [NFL] Combine, Justin Fields' representatives and Russell Wilson's representatives have cased every team that would have an interest or reached out to them and said, 'What's your price tag?' The only reason, in my opinion, they would get something done before not only the legal tampering, but before the official start of free agency is that the Steelers' price tag and compensation was well above what everybody else was going to do. That would be it, just the money reason."

Whaley said that if the Steelers perhaps check all the boxes for one of the quarterbacks and they went above and beyond financially, they could get the deal done before the weekend is out. According to most local insiders, the Steelers want to get this deal done as quickly as possible so they can begin to build the rest of their roster. 

What that price tag is has been the subject of debate. According to Spotrac, his market value is $6.4 million. Most NFL insiders believe that he will command more than that. Perhaps the Steelers could offer him a deal like the Minnesota Vikings gave Sam Darnold before the 2024 season for $10 million. While that might seem excessive to some, they may have to pay a little more to keep him off the open market. 

Steelers Should Take A Different Approach

Ever since Fields became the preferred free agent quarterback for many Steelers fans, there has been talk of Pittsburgh doing whatever it takes to keep him here. However, longtime Steelers backup Charlie Batch has a slightly different stance. 

He recently said that he thinks the team should make both Wilson and Fields an offer and see who takes it first, like an ultimatum. Batch added that he isn't sure either one of them will be there for the 2025 season. 

The reality is that options for Pittsburgh are slim. While other names like Darnold and Aaron Rodgers have been suggested, Fields seems to have the most upside. It will also allow the Steelers to really explore his talent, and if necessary, they can look to draft a quarterback in 2026. 

Do you agree that money is the only reason Fields or Wilson would sign with the Steelers before free agency? Tell us what you think below!

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