Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be in the market for a new starting quarterback this offseason, as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will hit unrestricted free agency next week, and neither is guaranteed to be back in 2025.
Though ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the Steelers are leaning towards re-signing Fields over Wilson, Pittsburgh could still look to add a new signal-caller through the draft, free agency, or trade market.
If general manager Omar Khan decides to explore the free agent market to address the potential need, Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna predicts the Steelers will sign Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
“There aren’t many places where I’d get excited about Darnold’s prospects. But Pittsburgh is one of them. For all the complaining about Mike Tomlin’s spot in 10-win purgatory, he is doing something remarkable. This isn’t Jeff Fisher. It’s almost impossible to have sustained success in the way Tomlin is doing it. And he did a much-overlooked job of getting to double-digit wins with a QB who looked like a total bust (Justin Fields) and another who looked totally washed (Russell Wilson). I think Darnold is better than both of those guys. He could get this team deep into the postseason,” McKenna wrote.
Darnold revived his career in Minnesota last season, leading the team to a 14-3 record while tossing 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions with a 66.2% completion rate.
The Vikings didn’t tag Darnold before the 4 p.m. ET deadline on Mar. 4, meaning the veteran signal-caller will be an unrestricted free agent. Though Darnold struggled in Minnesota’s playoff loss and has just one year of solid production, the 27-year-old would be an upgrade over Wilson and Fields and could flourish in Arthur Smith’s offense.
Darnold will land a lucrative deal, as Spotrac and Pro Football Focus project the former first-round pick will receive a multi-year contract worth over $40 million per season. Pittsburgh is slated to have $59.6 million in cap space and could save more money by making other roster moves ahead of free agency.
The Steelers could opt to bring back Wilson or Fields in 2025, but if the franchise wants to go in a different direction at the sport’s most vital position, signing Sam Darnold to be the starter next season would be an intriguing move.
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