The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the NFL’s most unique quarterback rooms last season, with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields each leading the charge at different points.
However, just one season after the crowded QB room resulted in a 10-win season and Wild Card Round loss, it’s possible Wilson and Fields will both sign elsewhere in free agency.
If that’s the case, the Steelers will have to turn to the 2025 NFL Draft, free agency, and the trade market to find their new starting signal-caller. If Pittsburgh’s front office opts for the latter route, one veteran sticks out as a temporary solution.
Steelers Predicted To Trade for Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith’s time with the organization could be over, especially after wide receiver Tyler Lockett was released and DK Metcalf has requested a trade. These moves could signal the Seahawks are ready to move on from the Smith era and begin a rebuild.
The Steelers could look to ease the transition period from Wilson and Fields to their next hopeful franchise QB by acquiring the 34-year-old Smith.
PFSN’s Sterling Xie predicts the Steelers will land Smith, writing, “The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to exceed expectations but have come well short of Super Bowl contention. That’s mainly due to an offense that lacks an exciting ceiling. Since PFSN’s Offense+ metric began in 2019, the Steelers are one of five franchises that have never finished above-average in the category. The others are the Jets, Giants, Bears, and Panthers.
“Geno Smith regressed in 2024 after a strong 2023, ranking 21st with 0.03 EPA per dropback. But even that average starter figure would have been the best by a Steelers quarterback since 2018 (the final year of the Ben Roethlisberger-Antonio Brown pairing). No Steelers QB has started more than half the games and averaged a positive EPA per dropback since 2018 Big Ben.”
Smith finished last season leading the Seahawks to a record of 10-7 while recording 4,320 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He inked a three-year, $75 million contract with the Seahawks after breaking out during the 2022 campaign. However, he’s now entering the final year of that deal and could use a fresh start to prove he’s worthy of another sizeable contract.
It’s worth noting the two-time Pro Bowler was the 15th-best quarterback last season according to PFSN’s QB+ metric, while Wilson ranked 17th. Fields didn’t qualify due to his lack of starts, but he finished with a very similar QB+ grade as Smith.
“Smith may not seem like the most exciting name, but PFSN’s QB+ metric has been a bigger fan of his game than his public reputation,” Xie continued. “In three seasons with the Seahawks, Smith has ranked 10th (2022), 18th (2023), and 15th (2024) in the metric. Part of that is because he’s performed very well when protected, ranking seventh in passer rating (107.4) when kept clean since 2022.
“If the Steelers insist on continuing to chase playoff berths rather than retooling around a younger quarterback, they need to raise their offensive ceiling to give them a chance against the AFC’s elite offenses. Pittsburgh could accommodate a short-term extension for Smith, who is entering the last year of his deal in 2025. A trade could mirror something like when the Colts acquired Matt Ryan for a third-rounder in 2022.”
While the hope would obviously be that Smith can lead the Steelers to postseason success, it’s also very possible he would serve as a mentor to a rookie QB while serving as Pittsburgh’s bridge quarterback.