Justin Fields led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a hot start this season, yet he was still benched in favor of Russell Wilson in Week 7. Now, after the Steelers were eliminated from the postseason by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round, both players face uncertain futures in Pittsburgh given the fact that they are pending free agents.
Let’s examine their contracts, why Fields was benched for Wilson, their play, and whether either player will remain with the Steelers.
Why Was Justin Fields Benched For Russell Wilson?
After deploying some of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era, the Steelers completely revamped their QB room this past offseason. All three quarterbacks to make starts last season (Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph) were replaced by Fields and Wilson (with Kyle Allen as the QB3).
The two quarterbacks had a legitimate competition throughout training camp, with Wilson being named the starter in late August. Unfortunately, Wilson aggravated a calf injury that he suffered early in training camp, and it lingered longer than expected.
The Steelers were a bit of an enigma coming out of training camp. Stuck in what was supposed to be a loaded AFC North, few pundits picked them to make the postseason. Yet, the team jumped out to an 8-2 start, largely on the back of their backup quarterback, then weathered a four-game losing skid to end the year.
Wilson started at QB when the Steelers took on the Ravens battle in Saturday night’s playoff game, but it wasn’t his team to start the season. Fields guided the Steelers to an 18-10 come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, showing off his arm and legs while igniting a quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh.
Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 start, throwing for five touchdowns, running for five more, and turning the ball over just twice. The offense was by no means prolific, but Fields certainly played well enough to keep the starting job. Yet, the moment Wilson’s calf injury finally healed up in Week 7, head coach Mike Tomlin benched Fields.
“The reason why I did this is I know I had two quarterbacks going into camp that are very capable, but I wanted to see both of them before I made a long-term decision,” Tomlin told Jay Glazer in October. “I’m not trying to win games, I’m trying to win a world title here. I got to see what I got in both.'”
The Steelers went 6-5 with Wilson running the huddle. They averaged 23.3 points per game under the eight-time Pro Bowler’s watch, compared to 20.6 points per game under Fields — although the offense stagnated down the stretch and saw Pittsburgh end the year on a four-game losing skid.
Fields is far and away the more dynamic runner of the two quarterbacks, slashing and darting like a running back when he escapes the pocket. However, Wilson has the bigger and more accurate arm, turning star receiver George Pickens into a household name after taking the reins.
This season, Wilson has thrown for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing for 155 yards and two scores. While Wilson has been the starter since Week 7, Fields has continued to play a bit in certain packages.
In the Wild Card Clash with the Ravens, Wilson completed 20 of 29 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Meanwhile, Fields barely played. Even after fans called for him to start or play a significant role against Baltimore given the Steelers’ offensive struggles down the stretch, Fields attempted just one pass (an incompletion) and rushed the ball zero times.
Will the Steelers Re-Sign Wilson or Fields?
Wilson signed a one-year, $1.21 million contract with the Steelers last offseason. Why did Wilson sign such a bargain deal at a time when quarterback salaries are skyrocketing?
Well, because he’s still making $37.790 million from the Denver Broncos this season.
In 2022, shortly after acquiring Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, Denver gave Wilson a five-year, $242.6 million extension.
This contract contained offset language, meaning his salary with a new team would be deducted from his remaining Broncos salary. As a result, the veteran quarterback was incentivized to sign the cheapest deal possible this past offseason.
This is why Wilson accepted a bargain contract that makes him one of the NFL’s lowest-paid quarterbacks in terms of annual salary (not counting the money he’s earning from Denver). His deal also contains a full no-trade clause.
Wilson’s salary with the Steelers ranked 64th among quarterbacks this season. In fact, he is the third-highest-paid quarterback on his team, as his salary is lower than Fields’ ($3,233,448) and Allen’s ($1,383,834).
For comparison, the Steelers paid Wilson less than the salaries of Jacksonville Jaguars QB C.J. Beathard ($1,310,000), Baltimore Ravens QB Josh Johnson ($1,377,500), Minnesota Vikings QB Nick Mullens ($1,900,000), and San Francisco 49ers QB Brandon Allen ($2,020,000).
However, factoring in the money he’s being paid by both teams, Wilson earned $39 million this year.
Now, after playing better during the 2024 season, Wilson will be an unrestricted free agent. After the loss to the Ravens in the Wild Card Round, Wilson discussed his future.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers organization, man, it’s such a blessing to be here,” Wilson said. “The guys that we have, the organization is truly first class. I love the city, obviously, and what it means — not just to me, Ciara, and our family but also to the National Football League. Special place, special guys, and a special coach in Coach Tomlin. It’s a special organization with special people, special players, and a special fan base.
“It’s truly been a blessing in my life. It’s been one of my best years personally to be a Pittsburgh Steeler, and obviously, I hope I’m here. I trust God in wherever that is. But it’s a special, special place and I know God brought me here for a reason. He gave me so much joy being here and being around the guys. I love the Black and Gold and that’s what it means to me.”
Russell Wilson: “I hope I’m here” with Steelers in the future pic.twitter.com/g2TPrVUPN0
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) January 12, 2025
Meanwhile, Fields’ base salary is $1,616,724 with a roster bonus of $1,616,724, so his cap hit for this season is $3,233,448. The Steelers declined his fifth-year option (which would have paid him $25,664,000), which means he will also become a free agent this offseason.
It remains to be seen what the Steelers will do when both of their quarterbacks hit the open market this offseason. Will they re-sign Wilson or Fields? Could they move on from both? Is there a world where both signal-callers are back in Pittsburgh?
One would think that Fields will want to find a starting job elsewhere if Wilson is back, and he will benefit from the fact that there aren’t many top QBs available in the draft (beyond Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward) and free agency (aside from Sam Darnold).
If the Steelers decide to part ways with the 36-year-old Wilson, could Fields get another shot as Pittsburgh’s starting QB?
It’ll be interesting to see how everything plays out with both quarterbacks this offseason.