Pittsburgh Steelers

In the wake of Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II saying this week they can "probably" only keep one of their top two quarterbacks from this season, Justin Fields has his supporters within the organization.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, there are "some" Steelers officials who "are comfortable" with Fields being their starting quarterback in 2025.

Rooney said both Fields and Russell Wilson are "capable" players, and his "preference" would be to sign one of them:

"That'll be a priority, and I think that will give us the best opportunity to move forward. Obviously, we'll be looking in the draft as well. We've got a whole quarterback room to fill, and so there's jobs open in there. I wouldn't be surprised if we look at the draft, as well, either this year or next."

The Steelers will be looking for some semblance of stability at the position after remaking the quarterback room after the 2023 season. They gave up on Kenny Pickett two years after selecting him in the first round by trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles in March 2024.

That was followed by the acquisition of Fields from the Chicago Bears and Wilson signing in free agency after he was released by the Denver Broncos.

Wilson dealt with a lingering calf injury throughout the preseason and start of the regular season, allowing Fields to open the year as the starter.

Fields went 4-2 with 1,106 passing yards, 231 rushing yards and accounted for 10 touchdowns in six starts, but fumbling issues prompted head coach Mike Tomlin to insert Wilson as the starter in Week 7.

Wilson did play well out of the gate before tailing off as the season went on. His final stat line looks good with 2,482 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 63.7 completion percentage, but his 51.3 QBR was 22nd out of 32 qualified quarterbacks.

Fields has yet to prove he's good enough as a passer in the NFL to consistently win games, but his rushing ability does give his offense a high floor that a good coordinator can build around.

The best approach for the Steelers would be to give either Fields or Wilson a one-year deal, then take a flier on a young quarterback in the middle rounds of the 2025 draft to see if they can develop a decent starter.

If that strategy doesn't work, they will be right back in this same spot next offseason and still trying to figure out a long-term solution at the most important position on the field.

Pittsburgh Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II said in his end-of-season press conference that wide receiver George Pickens has both "talent" and "room to grow" ahead of his contract year in 2025.

Rooney also said the Steelers have not yet discussed an extension with Pickens, Bob Labriola reported for the team's website.

Here's Rooney's answer when asked about Pickens, per Labriola:

I think wide receiver is an area we've got to look at improving. George is a very talented player who has room to grow. We'd like to see him grow and hopefully he realizes the potential that he has, but definitely room for growth there.

Every team seems to have one or two guys in that room who you have to manage correctly. I still think George has enough talent that we've got to try to work and see if we can get him to fulfill the talent that he really has. Who knows if we can get there? We'll see.

But when you have guys who are as talented as some of the guys you're probably thinking of, you try to work with them and have them help you be successful.

Pickens led Steelers receivers with 900 receiving yards in 14 games this season.

He also took multiple costly penalties in a season during which he received more than $90,000 in fines reported publicly by the NFL.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after Pickens netted two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals that the receiver "has just got to grow up."

When asked again about Pickens after the Steelers' season ended with a Wild Card round loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Tomlin answered only that the Steelers had not yet discussed any player extensions and that the team was "still assessing" the results of the 2024 season.

Pickens, the No. 2 selection of the 2022 NFL draft, has one year and an estimated $3.25 million remaining on his rookie contract, per Spotrac.

Given that neither Russell Wilson nor Justin Fields are signed for next season, and the possibility that Pickens could be a trade candidate if the Steelers decide not to re-sign him, both the QB1 and WR1 positions in Pittsburgh seem currently undecided heading into the 2025 season.

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.

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Thursday that the 2026 NFL draft in the city will be held from Thursday, April 23 through Saturday, April 25.

Pittsburgh will be the latest city to host the event after the NFL moved it away from New York City, which served as the host from 1965 to 2014 and often utilized the Radio City Music Hall as the venue.

In the intervening years, the host cities for the event have included Chicago (2015-16), Philadelphia (2017), Arlington (2018), Nashville (2019), Cleveland (2021), Las Vegas (2022), Kansas City (2023) and Detroit (2024). In 2020, the draft was held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, Green Bay will host the event.

The host cities have made the draft quite the spectacle, bringing a regional flair to event, and Pittsburgh is expected to continue in that tradition.

"As we move closer to the 2026 NFL Draft, we're working closely with VisitPITTSBURGH, the Steelers and all our partners on the ground to ensure local and visiting fans will enjoy an unforgettable event," the NFL's executive vice president of club business, league events and international, Peter O'Reilly, said in a statement. "We're excited to spotlight the city throughout our Draft festivities and show the world the passion and vibrancy of the Pittsburgh community."

"The 2026 NFL Draft is an opportunity to celebrate football and Pittsburgh's unique place in the history of the game," Steelers president Art Rooney II added, "while also promoting our region nationally and globally across the rare platform provided by the NFL Draft."

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, a pending free agent, indicated that he and the organization have had preliminary conversations about him potentially returning next season.

"I think first of all, yes, we have been starting to talk a little bit, obviously, and we've had our meetings and everything else, and kind of just getting into it," he said Tuesday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

"Hopefully I get to play there a lot longer," Wilson added. "It's a special place because of the guys in the locker room, the traditions and the people and the winning. All of that, plus you've got Mike Tomlin who is arguably the best coach of all time, one of the top ones just because of who he is and how he motivates us. Even through the storm I think that we battled, and a lot of that was because of Coach Tomlin."

While Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Don Shula, Vince Lombardi and others might like a word about that "best coach of all time" remark, there's no doubt that Tomlin remains one of the consistently excellent coaches in the sport. In 18 years leading the Steelers he's never had a losing season, leading Pittsburgh to one Super Bowl title and 12 playoff appearances.

One issue keeping the Steelers from getting over the hump since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement after the 2021 season, however, is the lack of an elite quarterback.

Wilson, 36, was steady for the team in 2024, throwing for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games while completing 63.7 percent of his passes and taking 33 sacks. The Steelers were just 6-5 in his starts, and lost their lone playoff game, finishing the season with five straight losses.

Granted, those losses came against the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens (twice), Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, all difficult opponents. Of that group, only Cincy missed the postseason, and just barely. It will be a concern, however, that Wilson went just 2-4 against playoff teams this season, while Justin Fields registered a 2-0 mark in such games.

Granted, Wilson was an upgrade in the passing game for the Steelers (Fields threw for five touchdowns and one interception in six starts, averaging just 184.3 passing yards per game). And Pittsburgh isn't going to be in a position to draft one of the top available options, though the team does have $43.4 million in cap space, meaning they could potentially enter the Sam Darnold sweepstakes if they so desired.

Retaining both Wilson and Fields would probably be the cheaper option, however, and allow them to retain some of their own free agents. Whether either player is capable of turning the Steelers from a playoff team to a true contender is the bigger question.

If Aaron Rodgers became a free agent this offseason, a handful of teams would likely be interested in signing the veteran.

According to Gerry Dulac of the Steelers Radio Network, the Pittsburgh Steelers won't be one of those teams.

"I can tell you it won't be Aaron Rodgers," Dulac said on The Rich Eisen Show (2:00 mark). "They have no interest in doing that."

There's no guarantee that Rodgers will hit the free agency market this offseason, but SNY's Connor Hughes reported in November that New York "prefers to move on from" him. Even if the Jets decide to keep him around, Rodgers might not be interested in coming back.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported earlier this month that "people close to" Rodgers are preparing for his potential retirement.

"I would say very firmly up in the air," Rapoport said of Rodgers' future. "Listening to Rodgers' pretty heartfelt words this week sounded like someone who at least is preparing for the possibility that he is playing his last game. I'm not talking about with the [New York] Jets, I'm talking about plain last game...

"There's several people close to him who I know are preparing for the fact that this could in fact be it. "

Rodgers made clear his 2025 plans, it will likely be a while before he gives fans any indication of what his next move is.

The 41-year-old Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2024. While those aren't bad numbers by any means, his play did not result in wins as the Jets went 5-12.

If Rodgers becomes a free agent, the team that signs him will likely do so with the expectation that he may not be able to lead them to a Super Bowl. That's not what the Steelers are looking for at this point after reaching the playoffs in 2024.

Russell Wilson had a disappointing end to his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and part of his struggles could be due to reported tension between him and his offensive coordinator.

Per Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show, Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith battled through having a bad "work relationship" during the 2024 campaign.

"Still, despite Wilson and Smith spending countless hours together after the typical workday watching film and publicly joking about it, a team source recently said that Wilson and Smith did not have a very good working relationship but fought through their differences as best they could," Kaboly wrote.

According to Kaboly, reports surfaced during the season that Smith preferred Justin Fields over Wilson, though the reports were never "substantiated." Fields, who the Steelers traded for last offseason shortly after landing Wilson, started the first six games of the season and threw for 1,106 yards, 5 touchdowns and one interception. He added 289 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground while leading Pittsburgh to a 4-2 start.

Wilson, who missed the first part of the season while recovering from an injury, threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions across 11 games. The Steelers won six of their first seven games with Wilson as the starter before collapsing to lose the final four regular-season games of the year.

In Pittsburgh's wild-card matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Wilson threw for 270 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 28-14 loss.

The Steelers now have a few decisions to make this offseason, the first regarding Wilson, who is set to hit free agency. Wilson could likely find a home with another squad, but he has indicated he wants to return to Pittsburgh next year.

"Yeah, that's the plan," Wilson said, per Kaboly. "Obviously, I love it here and everything else. I think they've known that I always wanted to be here and play here. But it's also a process. We haven't had those meetings yet, so we'll have those, and we'll go from there."

Fields is also set to be a free agent this offseason, so the Steelers will have to choose to bring back one, both or neither of the two quarterbacks. Smith is under contract for the next two seasons and will likely play a big part in helping Pittsburgh's front office decide what to do.

Wilson is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who once played at an MVP level year in and year out, but he's been far from that caliber of player over the past few years. Fields, though still unproven, showed early last season that he's capable of winning games as a starter.

Needless to say, Mike Tomlin, Smith and the Steelers have an interesting offseason ahead of them.

Arthur Smith could be moving on after one season of directing the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense.

Smith has head coaching interviews scheduled with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

Smith previously served as the Atlanta Falcons' head coach. He led the team to three straight 7-10 seasons before he was fired after the 2023 campaign.

He was hired by the Steelers ahead of the 2024 season, which ended Saturday with a 28-14 Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The news follows a Tuesday reported by ESPN's Dan Graziano that Smith could be a "front-runner" for the job in New York.

The Jets interviewed Smith in January 2021, following his second season as offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, before Smith went to Atlanta and the Jets hired Robert Saleh.

The team also "considered bringing in Smith" as part of their offensive staff ahead of the 2024 season following his firing by the Falcons, according to Graziano.

That past interest could be enough to make the team a serious contender to hire Smith. Graziano wrote that Jets owner Woody Johnson "has been known to lock in a bit on his personal favorites."

According to Graziano, the Jets were interested in former head coach Adam Gase prior to his decision to join the Miami Dolphins in 2016. When Gase was fired after three seasons with the Dolphins, the Jets hired him ahead of the 2019 campaign.

The Jets could be looking for an offensively-focused coach after moving on from Saleh and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, both of whom came from defensive backgrounds.

The Steelers' offense struggled over stretches of the 2024 season, particularly when being held to 17 or fewer points in four straight losses to end the season. The unit finished the campaign ranked 23rd in the NFL with 319.4 total offensive yards per game.

Smith's offense in Pittsburgh leaned heavily on its rushing attack, finishing the season 11th in the NFL with 127.4 rushing yards per game.

That focus wasn't always effective, however. The Steelers ranked 24th in rush EPA during the regular season, and the rushing attack was all but absent as the team was held to just 29 yards on the ground in the elimination loss to the Ravens.

The Jets could be hoping Smith is able to find more consistent results if he gets the chance to work with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. Even after a head coach is hired, however, the Jets will be left to answer arguably the biggest question of the offseason: whether the team is running things back with Aaron Rodgers or bringing in a new starting quarterback for the 2025 season.

Amid rumors of teams inquiring with the Pittsburgh Steelers about a trade for head coach Mike Tomlin, he brushed off the speculation.

"Save your time," Tomlin said on Tuesday, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

Tomlin, who just wrapped up his 18th season as head coach, signed a three-year extension last offseason.

Tomlin's contract also features a no-trade clause, meaning the only way Pittsburgh can trade him is if he agrees to the deal.

Though Tomlin has had a successful tenure with the Steelers, his future with the team was in question when Pittsburgh squandered a 10-3 start by losing its last four games. The 10-7 finish was still good enough for the Steelers to reach the playoffs, but their effort in the wild-card round against Baltimore wasn't good enough to advance.

After Pittsburgh lost to the Ravens, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that one team had already checked into Tomlin's trade availability. Schefter also said the Steelers hadn't given "any indication" it was interested in trading Tomlin.

"Last week, we said there will be teams that would check into the availability of Mike Tomlin, and one did, and one was told that Mike Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract," Schefter said. "So, anything that would happen in Pittsburgh involving Mike Tomlin would come with his consent and his consent only.

"A loss like last night's might further teams to look into it. Pittsburgh hasn't given any indication that it wants to move on from Mike Tomlin, and this has been the most patient franchise, not just in football, but maybe sports."

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Sunday that the Steelers don't plan to move on from Tomlin via trade or firing, reassuring his future in Pittsburgh is safe.

Though the Steelers fell short of reaching their goals this season, it's fair to say they exceeded expectations in some ways. They came into the year with two quarterbacks who had struggled for their previous teams, but they still managed to make things work and reach the postseason for a second consecutive season.

Pittsburgh has a big offseason ahead of it with both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields on expiring contracts, but the team seems to have faith that Tomlin can navigate another potential obstacle.

If Tuesday's press conference from head coach Mike Tomlin was any indication, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to look quite different during the 2025 season.

But not at head coach.

"I have a feeling that a lot of things are going to change around here," Tomlin told reporters.

That naturally led to questions about the quarterback position since both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are set for free agency this offseason. Tomlin didn't close the door on bringing back either or both, but he also didn't confirm they will return.

"We are certainly open to considering those guys, but we have a lot of work ahead of us," he said.

Both quarterbacks have publicly expressed their desire to return to the Steelers, but it seems like the team will keep its options open. While Fields went 4-2 as a starter to open the year when Wilson was sidelined, Tomlin turned to the veteran and relied on him for the rest of the season and during the Wild Card Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Yet the offense sputtered down the stretch and failed to reach the 20-point mark in any of the final five games, which were all losses.

That five-game losing streak that included another early playoff exit to end the season also brought Tomlin's future with the Steelers under the spotlight. However, he told reporters "I have no message, save your time," when asked about other teams potentially trading for him.

The comments come after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that one team called Pittsburgh to ask about trading for the coach just to be told he has a no-trade clause.

"A loss like last night's might further teams to look into it," Schefter said. "Pittsburgh hasn't given any indication that it wants to move on from Mike Tomlin, and this has been the most patient franchise, not just in football, but maybe sports."

Tomlin is considered one of the best coaches in the sport and has started his career with a league-record 18 consecutive non-losing seasons. He also has a Super Bowl ring and has maintained the organization as one of the most consistent in sports throughout various roster constructions.

Still, the Steelers have now lost in the AFC Wild Card Round in four of the last five years. Their last playoff win came during the 2016 campaign.

It seems like the organization has settled into a pattern of being good enough to reach the playoffs but not special enough to compete with the NFL's best once it arrives. That has naturally led to some frustration from fans looking for more.

"I don't make excuses for failure," Tomlin said. "I own it. But I also feel like I'm capable. As long as I'm afforded an opportunity to do that, I'll continue. But I certainly understand their frustrations. Probably more important than that, I share it."

That frustration could lead to changes this offseason.