Steelers Would Like To Keep Both Russell Wilson & Justin Fields In 2025

According to Jonathan Jones, there’s a desire in the Steelers’ building to keep both QBs Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in 2025. 

Both players are pending free agents. Wilson signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum after being cut by the Broncos this past offseason, while Fields was traded to Pittsburgh by the Bears in the final year of his rookie contract. 

Both players have started games for the Steelers this year, though Pittsburgh went to Wilson over Fields despite the latter having a 4-2 record to start the season. 

Jones thinks the Steelers would choose Wilson over Fields if they could only keep one this offseason, and both players should garner interest with a number of QB-needy teams this offseason. 

Jones also polled league executives who had a wide range of opinions on what Wilson’s next contract would look like, anything from $10 million a year to $35 million a year. 

“Think a lot depends on how he finishes up the season and how Pittsburgh views him,” one of the execs said. “If they make some noise in the playoffs, Geno [Smith] at [$25 million]. If he fizzles down the stretch, he’s a bridge/backup at [$10-12 million].”

Wilson, 35, is a former third-round pick of the Seahawks back in 2012. He was entering the final year of his five-year, $89.142 million contract when the Seahawks signed him to a four-year, $140 million extension that included a $65 million signing bonus. 

The Seahawks traded him to the Broncos in 2022 in a blockbuster deal. Wilson stood to make base salaries of $19 million and $22 million over the final two years of his deal when he agreed to a new five-year, $245 million extension that included $165 million in guaranteed money.

However, Wilson didn’t even reach the new portion of his deal before being released by the Broncos, who absorbed a record $85 million dead cap hit. The Steelers later signed him to a one-year contract. 

In 2024, Wilson has appeared in five games for the Steelers and completed 63.1 percent of his pass attempts for 1,212 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s added 17 carries for 24 yards and a touchdown. 

He signed a four-year rookie deal worth $18,871,956 with a signing bonus of $11,085,059 that also included a fifth-year option to pick up on him in 2024 worth $21.978 million guaranteed for the 2025 season. 

The Bears traded Fields to the Steelers for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick that can improve to a fourth-round pick if Fields plays 51 percent of the snaps in 2024. Pittsburgh declined Fields’ fifth-year option.

In 2024, Fields has started six games for the Steelers and completed 65.8 percent of his pass attempts for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He has also rushed 60 times for 274 yards and five touchdowns.

We’ll have more on Wilson and Fields as the news is available.