Justin Fields

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II confirmed that the team will attempt to bring either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields back under center for the 2025 season.

"My preference would be to sign one of those quarterbacks (Russell Wilson or Justin Fields)," Rooney said on Monday, via 93.7 The Fan. "Obviously, we will be looking in the draft as well either this year or next. That (quarterback position) has to be the priority."

He expressed that the quarterback spot is a "key piece of the puzzle that needs to be addressed" and said that it's unlikely both Wilson and Fields would be back with the team next season (via Bob Labriola of the team's official website).

"I wouldn't close the door, but I'd say it's probably unlikely," Rooney said, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "I think both of them see themselves as starters and I don't know that they want to share the same job again next year. So, I would say most likely we probably don't wind up bringing them both back."

Wilson has held some initial discussions with the front office surrounding a return, confirming that he's had "meetings" with the Steelers regarding his impending free agency during a Wednesday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

Pittsburgh also seems to be leaving the door open for Fields to come back. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported Jan. 13 that the team "would love to keep working with" the former first-round pick but noted that "it might not be as a starter."

Pittsburgh acquired both signal-callers during the 2024 offseason, signing Wilson in free agency before trading a 2025 conditional sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Fields.

Wilson was named the Steelers' starter entering the regular season, but a calf injury kept him sidelined until Week 7.

Fields performed admirably, throwing for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns compared to one interception through six games. He also rushed for 231 yards and five more scores, as Pittsburgh sat at 4-2.

Wilson also looked sharp after making his return, completing 63.7 percent of his throws for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns while getting picked off just five times.

The Steelers' end to the season could cause some hesitation from Pittsburgh regarding a reunion with Wilson, as the team lost five straight games to close out the year. This included a 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, but it's worth noting that the veteran passer threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns in the postseason defeat.

As Pittsburgh looks to secure its first playoff win since the 2016 season, the team could bring back one of its two 2024 starting quarterbacks in free agency.

Will either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields be back with the Pittsburgh Steelers next season?

Don't be surprised if it's Fields, and not Wilson, who returns to the Steel City, albeit potentially in a backup role.

According to Albert Breer of SI.com, "Wilson and Fields are both free agents. Will either be back in Pittsburgh? There was frustration with Wilson down the stretch, so I'm not sure how far the Steelers will be willing to go to keep him. Meanwhile, the team would love to keep working with Fields, but it might not be as a starter. I'd heard before the playoff game Saturday that the playoffs would likely help set the course. Based on how the offense played.."

Fields, 25, went 4-2 as the starter to open the 2024 season, throwing for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and an interception while completing 65.8 percent of his passes and taking 16 sacks. He also rushed for 289 yards and five scores.

Once Wilson was healthy enough to return from a calf injury that sidelined him to open the season, however, he was returned to starting status and was an upgrade, throwing for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 63.7 percent of his passes and taking 33 sacks.

The Steelers went 6-1 in his first seven starts and life was good. But including Saturday's playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers finished the season with five straight losses. It's hard to completely blame Wilson for that stretch—he threw six touchdowns, two interceptions and took 18 sacks—but he didn't exactly lift an inept offense to greater heights, either.

So the Steelers have some major decisions to make at the quarterback position. And regardless of who they ultimately land on, more weapons are needed as well. An offensive rework is required, and it will likely start at quarterback.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers' 28-14 wild-card loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, head coach Mike Tomlin addressed speculations surrounding the future of the team's quarterback room.

"I'm not ready to take a big-picture approach. You know, I'm really assessing what happened today, and I'm certainly appreciative of the efforts tonight, but I can say that largely for the entire season," Tomlin told reporters after the game (2:50 mark). "They're two quality people, three quality people at the quarterback position, and really appreciate what they poured into this."

Both Russell Wilson and backup quarterback Justin Fields are headed for free agency this offseason. Third-string quarterback Kyle Allen will also become a free agent.

Wilson, who started Saturday's game, completed 20-of-29 passes for 270 yards, with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Fields started in six games and finished the season with a 65.8 completion rate, five touchdowns and one interception.

Tomlin did not believe the team as a whole did enough on Saturday, not singling out quarterback Wilson, but acknowledging that he was part of that group.

"(Wilson's play), it was like our play, it wasn't good enough," Tomlin told reporters. "Again man, I just love the spirit in which he continued to fight, the way he led the group out of the locker room at the half... but certainly none of us were good enough tonight."

The 36-year-old helped Pittsburgh secure a winning season in his first year with the team, not starting until Week 7 in a 37-15 victory over the New York Jets.

However, finishing the season on a five-game losing streak after a 10-3 start, combined with the free agency of all three quarterbacks, will raise significant questions heading into the offseason—questions that will likely include Tomlin's future as well.

Tomlin has never had a losing season, with an overall record of 183-107-2. However, with no Super Bowl appearance since 2010 and no playoff win since 2016, a potential trade for Tomlin may become a realistic consideration.

Backup quarterback Justin Fields reportedly may be a factor in the Pittsburgh Steelers' AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has "prepared packages" for Fields that may be used against their AFC North rivals:

Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson will still get the start at quarterback in what figures to be a challenging environment on the road in Baltimore.

Fields, who was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, was acquired from the Chicago Bears during the offseason for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick.

After Fields failed to live up to expectations as a starter in Chicago with a 10-28 record, he was expected to serve as the backup in Pittsburgh.

However, Wilson suffered a calf injury during the preseason, which forced Fields into the starting lineup.

He started the first six games of the regular season, posting a 4-2 record, while completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, and rushing for 231 yards and five scores.

Once he was healthy, Wilson took over as the starter in Week 7, and Fields has seen limited game action since then.

Over the Steelers' final 11 regular-season games, Fields played a total of 13 snaps, attempting one pass and rushing seven times for 58 yards.

After starting the season 10-3, the Steelers struggled down the stretch, losing each of their final four games and averaging only 14.3 points per game during that stretch.

Involving Fields in the gameplan could add a much-needed wrinkle to keep the Ravens' defensive players on their toes.

Fields is at his most dangerous as a runner, so any time he is on the field Saturday, there is a good chance that it will be to carry the ball.

At the same time, Fields has a big arm and is capable of hitting deep balls, so the threat of the run could potentially open the door for some chunk plays in the passing game.

The Steelers have traditionally been a tough matchup for the Ravens and superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, including back in Week 11 when Pittsburgh beat Baltimore 18-16.

The Ravens looked much better in the rematch, though, taking down the Steelers 34-17 at home.

That result and the Steelers' late-season stagnancy suggested that some changes needed to be made, and getting Fields more involved could be the type of move that makes Pittsburgh's offense far more difficult to defend.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly set to get a key player back in the lineup for their Christmas Day matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, and fantasy football managers playing in Week 17 could benefit from his return.

Per ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is expected to play after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury. Pryor added that backup quarterback Justin Fields is questionable with an abdominal injury.

"I feel good, but who makes the decision is the coaches and the doctors," Pickens said Monday. "So just whatever they tell me to do I'm doing."

In addition to Pickens' return, Pryor noted that safety DeShon Elliott, cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi were all removed from the injury report. However, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip) will be sidelined after getting injured in Saturday's 34-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Pickens leads the Steelers with 55 catches and 850 receiving yards while adding three touchdowns. Pittsburgh went 1-2 in his absence and is now 10-5, tying for first place in the AFC North with Baltimore, which is also playing on Christmas Day against the Houston Texans.

"I mean, a lot," Pickens said of how much the offense has missed him. "I want to be out there with the guys, but they did their best to fight hard to try to get a dub, try to get a victory."

Pickens' return boosts the Steelers' chances to upset the defending Super Bowl champions, but the Chiefs likely will be extra motivated because they can secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a victory.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields' first play in Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles turned out to be his last.

Fields, who was hit hard on a late slide after an eight-yard run in the second quarter, was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to an abdomen injury. The hit drew a penalty and kept Pittsburgh's drive alive, as starting quarterback Russell Wilson threw a touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth a few plays later to cut Philadelphia's lead to 17-10.

Fields dealt with a hamstring injury earlier this season and was the team's emergency third-string quarterback in a Week 8 win over the New York Giants as a result.

By that time, Wilson was back from a calf injury that sidelined him at the start of the campaign. However, Fields started the first six games of the season and went 4-2 while completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

The Ohio State product also ran for 231 yards and five touchdowns during those games, highlighting his mobility that made him so dangerous when he was with the Chicago Bears even though he never fully lived up to expectations as a 2021 first-round draft pick.

Wilson may not be as dominant as he was when he was at his peak with the Seattle Seahawks, but he is still a nine-time Pro Bowler who will be tasked with leading the Steelers in the AFC playoff race.

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the year with the aim of keeping Russell Wilson or Justin Fields at quarterback beyond 2024, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

"Both needed to play well to earn another opportunity with the team, and both have," he said Sunday. "Sources say there was optimism before the season that the play on the field this season would lead the organization to committing to one of them for years to come."

Rapoport added that Wilson "appears to be the leading candidate."

There's no question Wilson has vindicated head coach Mike Tomlin for making a change at QB despite Fields guiding the team to a 4-2 start. He has thrown for 1,626 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions though six appearances.

The 36-year-old's revival could put Pittsburgh in a bit of a bind, though.

Over the Cap projects the franchise tag for a quarterback to be $41.3 million in 2025. That would be a sizable short-term investment in Wilson, whose performance level is an improvement from 2023 and 2024 but not where it was during his prime.

There's risk in letting the nine-time Pro Bowler become a free agent, though, since he's bound to have interested suitors. The Atlanta Falcons were willing to give Kirk Cousins $100 million guaranteed despite him being 35 and coming off a major Achilles injury.

The MMQB's Albert Breer posited the Steelers could let Wilson hit the market with a handshake agreement that they'd have the opportunity to match the best offer he gets.

When it comes to Fields, his future in the Steel City is probably contingent on whatever happens with Wilson. It's hard to see him sticking around to be the backup.

Breer used Sam Darnold as a comparison for the 2021 first-round pick, who could look to sign a one-year contract with a team that considers him to be a viable starting solution.

Maybe that winds up being the Steelers.