The Pittsburgh Steelers had Justin Fields start the year for their first six games before turning the reigns over to Russell Wilson once he returned from a calf injury.
Both provided a step up for the team at the quarterback position from what they got out of the position in 2024. However, despite the improvement, Pittsburgh remained in familiar territory, finishing at 10-7 and having its season end on Wild Card Weekend.
With Fields and Wilson both set to be free agents, the Steelers must decide who will be their starting QB in 2025.
Steelers Insider Predicts Steelers Will Choose Russell Wilson
After Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette predicted that Wilson would be the QB1 for the Steelers, “The Pat McAfee Show’s” Mark Kaboly agreed.
“I think I agree with him. I think Justin’s gonna find more money, more opportunity, a better place somewhere else,” Kaboly said on KDKA in Pittsburgh.
Wilson is 36 years old and entering his 14th NFL season. He ranked as the league’s No. 17 quarterback by PFN’s QB+ metric, with a grade of 76.3 (C) when factoring in the regular season and playoffs.
Once Wilson took over at quarterback, Pittsburgh’s offense began firing on all cylinders, as the team won six of his first seven games as the starter. Unfortunately, that trend didn’t continue, as the Steelers stumbled into the postseason and went out with a whimper, losing five consecutive games to end their season.
In 11 games, Wilson threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 63.7 % of his passes. Wilson added 43 carries for 155 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Which version of Wilson will be the one a team gets in 2025 will be a legitimate question the Steelers and other teams will need to ask themselves when determining if he’s their starter.
Fields Predicted To Land With New York Jets
In PFSN’s free agency predictions article, Ben Rolfe predicts that the New York Jets will sign Fields.
After announcing that they are parting ways with Aaron Rodgers, the Jets have an opening at quarterback, and Fields would fill it. Rodgers and the Jets finished the 2024 season with a 5-12 record and will look to improve upon that record in 2025.
In six games as the Steelers’ starter, Fields went 4-2 with 1,106 passing yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. However, it’s on the ground where Fields is most dangerous. He was even utilized in read-option packages down the stretch, carrying the ball 62 times on the year for 289 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and five touchdowns.
Fields is entering his fifth NFL season and will be 26 years old when the 2025 season begins. While he didn’t qualify for PFN’s QB+ metric because of games played, he would have ranked 15th had he maintained his level of play for the entire season.
While he hasn’t yet developed into the passer he was expected to become when he came out of Ohio State, Fields has proven to be a highly effective dual-threat option. As recently as 2022, he rushed for 1,143 yards, the second-most rushing yards in a single season by a quarterback in NFL history.
Pittsburgh has struggled to find its next franchise quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. The team has a difficult decision on who to move forward with at the position, and Wilson and Fields will be two of the most intriguing options for teams needing a QB this offseason.
