The Pittsburgh Steelers have a quarterback conundrum this offseason.
Last offseason, the Steelers traded for former first-round pick Justin Fields and signed Russell Wilson. Both quarterbacks were coming off tumultuous tenures with their previous teams, the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.
Wilson was the presumptive starting quarterback going into the season but went down with a calf injury before Week 1. Fields stepped in and led the Steelers to a 4-2 record, throwing five touchdowns to one interception and rushing for another five scores.
However, despite Fields’ success, head coach Mike Tomlin inserted Wilson back into the starting lineup when he was healthy. The move paid immediate dividends, as the Steelers won six of seven games with Wilson under center. But Pittsburgh collapsed at the end of the season, losing their last five games, including a defeat against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
Overall in 2024, Wilson went 6-5, throwing for 2,482 passing yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions, while earning his 10th Pro Bowl selection.
With both Wilson and Fields entering free agency, the Steelers have a franchise-altering decision to make. However, one NFL insider believes Pittsburgh needs to go in a different direction.
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NFL insider wants Pittsburgh Steelers to trade for two-time Pro Bowl quarterback
ESPN NFL insider Aaron Schatz believes the Steelers should trade for Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Los Angeles Rams, despite his age of 37.
“Stafford is still playing at a high level. He ranked sixth in QBR in 2023 and then 12th in 2024. Compare that with the Steelers’ two quarterbacks from last season. Stafford had a 64.7 QBR, while Russell Wilson was at 51.3 (22nd) and Justin Fields was at 50.8 (not enough attempts to be ranked),” Schatz noted.
Last season, Stafford led the Rams to a surprising playoff berth, going 10-6, with 3,762 passing yards and 20 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. He posted a 65.8 completion percentage while averaging 7.3 yards per pass attempt.
“Pittsburgh still needs to add receiving help, with both Van Jefferson and Mike Williams hitting free agency, but there would be hope that Stafford could truly activate the talents of George Pickens,” added Schatz. “Also, Stafford is a better fit for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith than Aaron Rodgers because of Stafford’s experience in Sean McVay’s play-action-heavy system with the Rams. The Steelers and Rams were both near the top of the league in using more conventional quarterback-under-center formations (31% of passes for each team).”
It’s hard to envision the Steelers trading assets for a 37-year-old quarterback when they could sign either Wilson or Fields without giving up draft capital. Whichever direction the Steelers choose, they need to ensure their decision won’t come back to haunt them for years to come.
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