By Blessing 
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a tough spot, navigating what many in the NFL refer to as “quarterback purgatory.” It’s a challenging situation where a team struggles to find a consistent, high-performing quarterback, and unfortunately, that’s where Pittsburgh finds itself after another season of mixed results.
In 2024, the Steelers got creative under center with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. Fields started the first six games until Wilson recovered from injury and made his Steelers debut. Together, they performed better than most expected, keeping Pittsburgh competitive for much of the season. However, a five-game losing streak ultimately derailed the team’s playoff hopes. Despite the rocky finish, both quarterbacks did enough to earn a potential second contract with the team.
Yet Steelers owner Art Rooney II made it clear that a repeat of the dual-quarterback system is unlikely. Speaking on Monday, Rooney shed light on the team’s quarterback situation for 2025.
“I wouldn’t close the door, but I’d say it’s probably unlikely,” Rooney said, via 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.”
There are several reasons why the Steelers may not retain both quarterbacks. For one, both Fields and Wilson view themselves as starting-caliber players, and understandably so. Asking either of them to accept a backup or part-time role could be a tough sell. Additionally, the financial aspect plays a significant role. Fields earned just over $3 million last season, finishing out his rookie contract, while Wilson was on a league-minimum deal at $1.21 million. For quarterbacks performing at a top-32 level, that’s a bargain.
However, things are expected to change this offseason. Veteran quarterbacks typically command at least $12.5 million annually, and Pittsburgh likely can’t afford to pay both Fields and Wilson at that rate. Rooney acknowledged this reality, hinting that the team will prioritize signing just one of the two.
“They’re both capable quarterbacks, and my preference would be to sign one of them,” Rooney explained. “So that’ll be the priority, and I think that will give us the best opportunity to move forward.”
Rooney also noted that the Steelers might look to the NFL Draft as part of their long-term solution at quarterback.
“We’ve got a whole quarterback room to fill, and so there’s jobs open in there,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we look in the draft as well either this year or next, and so that’s got to be the priority.”
While the team is unlikely to select a quarterback in the first round, taking a chance on a prospect in the later rounds could provide much-needed competition and optimism for the future.
Neither Fields nor Wilson appears capable of leading the Steelers to a Super Bowl at this point, but both have shown enough potential to be considered viable bridge quarterbacks in 2025. The decisions Pittsburgh makes regarding its quarterback situation will likely set the tone for the rest of its offseason moves.
“I thought both Russ and Justin showed promise in certain stretches during the season, and I think they’re both capable of being starters in this league,” Rooney said. “So we have decisions, and they have decisions, too.”
How the Steelers navigate this pivotal moment at quarterback will be crucial for the franchise’s immediate and long-term success.