Give the Pittsburgh Steelers some credit. At least the organization realized last offseason that Kenny Pickett was not the answer and gave itself two possibilities by signing Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields. But is either quarterback the solution in 2025?
“We are certainly open to considering those guys, but there’s a lot of work ahead of us,” coach Mike Tomlin said after the season. “The major work, obviously, starts first and foremost with just understanding what our options are, what the field looks like in terms of free agency, what the draft pool looks like.”
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While the Steelers go to work evaluating their options, let’s do the same with a little help from Falcons writer Josh Kendall, Jets writer Zack Rosenblatt, Giants writer Charlotte Carroll and Vikings writer Alec Lewis.
Option 1: The known commodities
We broke down these two in-depth last week. Both are free agents, with Fields’ rookie contract expiring and Wilson playing 2024 on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum.
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Justin Fields or Russell Wilson: Is either QB the Steelers’ answer in 2025?
Justin Fields
The case for: What would have happened if the Steelers stuck with Fields all season? Now, they could find out. In a market without any clear cut upgrades, this really might be the Steelers’ best bet. Coordinator Arthur Smith and Fields worked well together. Fields shouldn’t break the bank, especially on a one- or two-year deal. The organization could lean even more into its run-first identity by featuring his legs.
If it all works, great. The Steelers would have a mid-20s quarterback with plenty of prime years ahead. If it doesn’t? The Steelers might bottom out and could take a swing at a 2026 QB class that features the big prize in Arch Manning and several other promising passers. One way or another, they would have a definitive answer on Fields.
The case against: If Fields didn’t think he played well enough, and neither did Tomlin, why would next year be different? This was not just a six-game sample size. Fields has been in the league for four years.
Russell Wilson
The case for: Wilson can still sling it deep. Through his first seven starts, he completed 17 of 33 (51.5 percent) attempts that traveled 20-plus yards downfield, with four touchdowns. But during the four-game losing streak to end the regular season, he completed just 4 of 12 (33.3 percent) such passes with no touchdowns. The Steelers would be counting on the QB to play more like the first seven games.
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The case against: Tomlin promised the Steelers won’t do the same things in 2025 and hope for different results. Bringing back Wilson as the starter could qualify. Opponents adjusted and cut down on big plays as the 2024 season went along. Those problems could be exacerbated if the team trades deep threat George Pickens, or if he holds in while seeking a new deal.
Option 2: Trade for a veteran or sign one who is cut
Kirk Cousins
The skinny (from Falcons writer Josh Kendall): Evaluators can see anything they want to see in Cousins. Through Week 9 last year, he was seventh in expected points added per dropback (.15) and tied for fourth in passing touchdowns (17). The Falcons were 6-3 and led the NFC South by two games, and everyone in Atlanta was singing his praises.
“Kirk is the guy. He’s the reason everybody is flowing,” wide receiver Darnell Mooney said during the season. “Kirk is the one who’s making everything happen.”
Then Cousins hit a skid that neither he nor his coaches could explain. From Week 10 through Week 15, he threw nine interceptions and one touchdown pass, and Atlanta gave up the division lead. He was benched after a 15-9 win over Las Vegas in Week 15, in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Cousins’ mobility was the biggest question mark last season, and it’s possible that being another year removed from his 2023 Achilles tendon tear might make him more effective. That hope plus Cousins’ positive results in the first half of 2024 could convince teams that he’s worth taking a shot on. Plus, he’s due only $27.5 million guaranteed salary next year, and Atlanta might be willing to take on some of that to make a trade.
The case for: It’s fair to wonder how much longer the 36-year-old QB will have an opportunity to start in the NFL. At the same time, everyone said the same thing about Wilson before he joined the Steelers, and he looked more than capable through his first seven starts. In Pittsburgh, Cousins would theoretically be supported by a team with a run-first approach and a strong defense. Perhaps Cousins could look more like the quarterback who signed the four-year, $180 million deal just one year ago.
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Speaking of money, the financial aspect is significant. It would make sense for the Steelers to add Cousins only if it’s on a bargain deal with minimal long-term risk. If Cousins were released, he could — like Wilson did in 2024 — sign a veteran minimum deal while his former team paid most of his salary, a much more appealing scenario for Pittsburgh than a trade.
The case against: If a 36-year-old QB with an injured calf couldn’t help the Steelers advance out of the first round, why would a soon-to-be 37-year-old QB not far removed from a torn Achilles be the answer? It’s really as simple as that. The Steelers have twice bet on their defense to carry an aging QB — first at the end of Ben Roethlisberger’s career, and again last year with Wilson. It failed both times. Will they try the same thing a third time?
Aaron Rodgers
The skinny (from Jets beat writer Zack Rosenblatt): It was a roller coaster of a season for Rodgers — it always is, for him and for them, to be fair — but it was at least encouraging that he played better at the very end of the season. There is an easily identifiable reason: Rodgers was fighting through various leg injuries (including a bad hamstring injury) and even refused to get scans out of fear that the Jets would keep him from playing 17 games — a stated goal he had long before the Jets’ season fell apart.
Ultimately he was inconsistent, even once healthy later in the season, and shoulders some responsibility for how things fell apart. He was often unwilling to take shots down the field, occasionally held onto the ball too long, and once the Jets traded for wide receiver Davante Adams, he frequently funneled targets his way — especially in the red zone. But in totality, Rodgers probably would grade out as a league-average quarterback — not the star he once was, but not as bad as perception, either.
The question for any team, especially the Steelers, is whether they want to take everything that comes with Rodgers — the drama, the stubbornness and the insistence that he runs his offense — at this stage of his career. He’s 41, more likely to get hurt and less effective with his legs than ever before.
Financially, it’s more likely the Jets release Rodgers than trade him, but if they did trade him, it would likely be with a post-June 1 designation and the acquiring team would owe him less than $10 million in 2025 — perfectly reasonable for a starting-caliber quarterback. The Steelers are definitely realistic — if Rodgers is going to keep playing in 2025, he’ll likely want to do it only with a coach he respects (like Tomlin) and a roster ready-made to compete. As a bonus, Pittsburgh could sign Adams too.
The case for: Tomlin and Rodgers seem to have mutual respect and admiration, fueling speculation for years that Rodgers could join the Steelers. “I’m a big Mike Tomlin fan,” Rodgers said in 2021 on the “Pat McAfee Show.” “I have been for a long time. I like the way that he speaks about his team and the way he goes about his business.” If the Steelers choose to pursue the quarterback who beat them in XLV, they would be getting a diminished version. He wouldn’t cost much, either. The hope would be he’s healthier now than at the beginning of 2024, and that the product would be less dysfunctional in a different environment.
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The case against: The NFL just watched former Jets GM Joe Douglas lose his job because he put too much faith in an aging Rodgers. If the Steelers bring in the 41-year-old, who might want to dictate personnel decisions and would bring a circus with him, they’d deserve a similar fate if it fails.
Derek Carr
The skinny: A four-time Pro Bowler, Carr holds most of the Raiders’ franchise passing records. However, his tenure ended unceremoniously in February 2023 when he refused to waive a no-trade clause and was released. He signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints, finishing 9-8 in 2023. Limited to 10 games this year due to injuries, he completed 67.7 percent of 279 attempts with 2,145 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. Given Carr’s bloated contract and the Saints’ coaching change, many have wondered whether the Saints will consider cutting or trading the soon-to-be 34-year-old.
The case for: Carr knows what quality quarterback play looks like. Three years ago, he was breaking records for the Raiders and earning a trip to the Pro Bowl. He’s not an elite QB who can elevate those around him, but he has proven himself more than capable. Maybe there’s still something left in a right arm that has thrown for 41,245 yards, the 22nd most in NFL history.
The case: If two teams have given up on Carr over the last three years, how could he be the answer for the Steelers? Trading for him would come with a massive financial risk. His base salary is $30 million in 2025 and $40 million in 2026, both of which would be the Steelers’ responsibility in a trade. He also has $10 million roster bonuses that become guaranteed in mid-March each year. The financial aspect alone would make this a tough pill to swallow.
Option 3: The free-agent market
Sam Darnold
The skinny (from Alec Lewis): Think of your favorite roller coaster. You start at the bottom. You climb gradually. And then as soon as you reach the apex, you fall hard and fast. That was Darnold in 2024. Minnesota signed him for $10 million in free agency. Expectations were minimal. He performed well early, navigated a couple of speed bumps in the middle of the season (Colts and Jaguars), pieced together a seven-game stretch that placed him near the MVP conversation and struggled mightily in the final two games — the Vikings’ most important games against the Lions and Rams.
Darnold displayed incredible arm talent at times but threw poor interceptions at others. He was mostly accurate. His pocket movement impressed. He is more mobile than most would think. He often needs time to throw, to see routes develop, to attempt the home run ball. He is tough. His entire career is defined by resilience. A team will (and should) pay him after the season he had, regardless of how it ended. Expect him to be mindful of the infrastructure that suitors possess, because he knows what it’s like to operate with little chance at success.
The case for: Darnold started his career with two of the NFL’s most dysfunctional organizations, the Jets and the Panthers. But over the last two years, two of the NFL’s top quarterback-friendly head coaches (San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell) have heaped praise on the former No. 3 pick. This season, he finished top five in passing TDs (35) and yards (4,319) and sixth in passer rating (102.5). If Darnold finally has figured it out after seven years and four teams, the Steelers could have a long-term answer, as he is just 27 years old. It would be a tremendous risk, but one with upside.
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The case against: In Minnesota, Darnold was in a prime situation with a great defense, one of the NFL’s best play callers and arguably the league’s best receiver (Justin Jefferson). He’d have none of that in Pittsburgh. As the top free-agent QB on the market, Darnold might not come cheap. There’s a risk of investing in a quarterback who might have been a product of his circumstances.
Daniel Jones
The skinny (from Giants beat writer Charlotte Carroll): That the Daniel Jones era ended in New York this season was hardly shocking. That it ended midseason and he was with another team by late November was a bit more surprising. Jones was drafted in 2019 with the No. 6 pick as the heir apparent to Eli Manning. But an up-and-down career really peaked with a 2022 wild-card win that earned him a four-year, $160 million deal.
It was all downhill from there. Jones tore his ACL in 2023. He could never replicate that 2022 success and was benched coming out of the Week 11 bye. Relegated to fourth string, Jones later asked for and was granted his release. It was mutually beneficial, with both parties getting fresh starts and the Giants avoiding Jones’ pricey injury guarantee. Jones landed in Minnesota days later and spent the rest of the 2024 season there.
In New York, Jones was a well-respected teammate whose work ethic was praised. There’s no denying the talent that goes along with his flaws: turnovers in the past and ball placement this season. Plus, Jones has amassed a significant injury history between the ACL tear and some neck injuries.
The case for: Jones is still relatively young at 27 and has the benefit of 69 career starts. He’s also won a playoff game more recently than Tomlin. So there’s that. Several other quarterbacks, including Darnold, Mayfield and Geno Smith, have benefited from a fresh start recently. Maybe Jones could be in a similar mold with a Steelers organization that almost reached the playoffs with Duck Hodges.
The case against: Where do we start? How about at the beginning, when the Giants drafted Jones in 2019? From that moment, it felt like the Giants were reaching for a QB who wasn’t the answer. When they extended his contract, it seemed like they were trying too hard to make a failed relationship work. When he was benched this season, Jones ranked 35th in passer rating among eligible QBs (79.4), 35th in EPA/ dropback (-0.08), 32nd in EPA/attempt (0.04) and 36th in touchdown rate (2.3%). As a reminder, there are 32 starting NFL QBs. The stats tell us what our eyes already know: Jones is not a starting-caliber QB.
Other free agents
The skinny: The market features a lot of options that don’t necessarily move the needle, including Carson Wentz, Jimmy Garoppolo, Mason Rudolph, Mac Jones, Trey Lance, Joe Flacco, Zach Wilson, Jacoby Brissett, Taylor Heinicke, Marcus Mariota, Drew Lock, Jameis Winston, Case Keenum, Cooper Rush, Josh Dobbs and Andy Dalton.
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The case for: Fields feels like a better option than all of those listed. But if you’re looking to sell yourself on this class, Wentz did win a Super Bowl and was a Pro Bowler before injuries and ineffectiveness derailed his once-promising career. Flacco beat the NFL’s highest-paid defense this season, when he led the Colts over the Steelers in Week 4. Dalton knows the AFC North. Garoppolo has a cool nickname.
The case against: That list of QBs sounds like the infamous Browns jersey. These quarterbacks will hit the open market for a reason. The Steelers would have a hard time selling the fanbase on any as QB1. That said, if last year taught us anything, it’s that there’s value in having a reliable QB2. These names are a lot more palatable if being considered for a backup role.
Option 4: Draft a rookie
With the 21st pick, the Steelers will likely be outside the range to select Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. None of the other quarterback prospects is considered ready to start in 2025. We’ll dive into these options later this week.
(Photos of Aaron Rodgers, left, and Kirk Cousins (center) and Sam Darnold: Emilee Chinn, Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)