The Pittsburgh Steelers have been heavily linked to a Justin Fields deal, but while it’s a fantastic fit, trading for the Chicago Bears quarterback carries its own concerns.
If the Steelers acquire Fields from the Bears, his contract will swiftly come into focus.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ potential Justin Fields’ Problem
Aaron Schatz of ESPN felt that the Steelers should trade for Fields this offseason. Fields should be available at a reasonable price, given that the Bears are expected to trade him in order to choose a quarterback with the first overall choice in the 2024 NFL Draft.
While the Steelers have officially supported Kenny Pickett, there is no doubt that Fields is a superior quarterback with a larger ceiling. His dual-threat abilities should be especially handy against Pittsburgh’s very subpar offensive line.
However, as Schatz noted, acquiring Fields would mean that the Steelers have to quickly make a decision on a fifth-year option for him. If they end up picking up that option and he develops into an elite quarterback under Mike Tomlin’s system, they will have to pay him then.
Shatz wrote the following about the Steelers’ need to trade for Fields:
“Fields had a higher QBR than Kenny Pickett previous season, 46.1 to 38.2, but it was mostly because to his rushing ability. Fields hasn’t improved much as a passer over the last three years. His highlight plays are intermingled with too many average failures, and he gets sacked far too frequently. However, the issue here is on the upside. Fields still has more potential than most other young quarterbacks. If you could improve his passing, you’d have a solid NFL starter. Fields’ scrambling abilities would be especially valuable behind a Pittsburgh line that finished 17th in pass block win rate (57.6%) in 2023.
“The problem with Fields is that you must decide immediately whether to extend him with a fifth-year option, and if he does develop, in two years you need to sign him to a big contract. But still, that upside is enticing. Pickett doesn’t have the same panache.”
Of course the Steelers would certainly want Fields to thrive and live up to his potential. But sure enough, negotiations for his next contract should he be successful in Pittsburgh will be tough.
Experts Support Justin Fields Trade To Pittsburgh Steelers
For what it’s worth, however, many experts and analysts believe that Justin Fields is a good fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Recently, former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum shared that the Steelers are better off acquiring Fields over Kirk Cousins if both were to become available.
However, the Steelers don’t seem to have made a decision yet on what they will do with their QB situation. Aside from Fields and Cousins, Russell Wilson has been mentioned as a potential target as well.
Fortunately for fans, the wait won’t be too long to see what the Steelers actually do.
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