The Steelers traded for quarterback Justin Fields this offseason and it looks like any future for him in Pittsburgh will be contingent on what happens in the coming months.
Fields is in the fourth year of the rookie deal he signed with the Bears after being drafted 11th overall in 2021 and the Steelers have until May 2 to decide on picking up an option for the 2025 campaign. That would cost a fully-guaranteed $25.7 million and Fields is currently No. 2 on the depth chart, so Adam Schefter of ESPN’s report that they are expected to pass on the option isn’t a surprising one.
It’s even less surprising when flipping back to the Steelers’ pre-draft press conference on Monday. General Manager Omar Khan didn’t make any commitments regarding the options for Fields or running back Najee Harris, but he did say that the team has “three guys who are on one-year deals” while discussing the possibility of drafting a quarterback this week.
Heading to free agency off a year spent as a backup to Russell Wilson wouldn’t be an ideal situation for Fields, but there’s a lot to play out before we know how the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh will shape up in 2024.
