BREAKING NEWS: Steelers Insider Draws Attention With Questioning of QB Justin Fields.
It’s hard to find a national NFL commentator who hasn’t suggested that the Pittsburgh Steelers should acquire quarterback Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears in the summer. However, some local Steelers insiders, like Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, have taken a more impartial stance on the proposal.
Dulac switched sides on February 28 in opposition to the Steelers’ possible trade for Fields. Dulac listed three reasons why a trade for Fields doesn’t make sense for Pittsburgh: the team’s belief in Kenny Pickett; the desire to re-sign Mason Rudolph; and Fields’ win-loss record.
Numerous others responded to that argument on social media.
“Two out of the three reasons pertain to Kenny and Mason,” p_roo20 commented on X, including laughing emoji. “The Steelers require a quarterback with a higher ceiling option because of them.”
Many X users concurred, with the caveat that the Steelers shouldn’t chase Fields in a blockbuster trade because of Pickett and Rudolph.
“Those are terrible reasons, no offense intended,” wrote Johnny Utah. “Fields] may not be the solution, but it’s only a two-year commitment, and it’s not worth the other two.”
Sean Segers continued, saying, “Pickett is obviously not the solution.” He further stated that if the Steelers acquire Fields via trade, they won’t require Rudolph.
Segers stated, “Fiels is obviously more talented than anyone they’ve had since Ben’s penultimate season.”
An Additional Justification for the Steelers Not to Trade for Justin Fields
Dulac’s top two arguments against the Steelers not trading for Fields will not sit well with many Steelers supporters. But given what the Steelers have openly stated this offseason regarding their quarterbacks, it makes perfect sense to assume that they intend to re-sign Rudolph and aren’t ready to give up on Pickett.
Art Rooney II, the team president, stated as much at the January 29 press conference.
Steelers president Art Rooney II stated on January 29 that “we still feel good about Kenny Pickett and his future but he knows he has to work hard to take the next step,” as reported by Bob Labriola of Steelers.com.
“We are interested in bringing Mason Rudolph back. Mason came in and showed what we can do when we do get quality QB play.”
On February 6, when questioned about the potential of dealing for a quarterback, Rooney stated that the team is “not closing the door on anything.” A day later, though, Rooney made it clear that it was “unlikely” that a blockbuster trade would be made for a well-known signal caller.
Fields isn’t a good fit for the Steelers for another evident reason: money.
Fields’ 2024 salary cap hit will only be $6 million, but his team must choose by May whether to exercise his fifth-year option.
The Steelers will need to exercise Fields’ fifth-year option if they want to acquire him for a reasonable price, which might include paying a second-round pick and additional draft capital.
That implies that before Fields ever dons a black-and-gold uniform, the Steelers will have to agree to pay him a total of more than $25 million for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Fields Offers Significant Upside Ahead of Center
There are several arguments against the Steelers being the right team to acquire Fields. However, Fields’ upside may be a stronger argument to trade for him than any other consideration.
These days, NFL teams will do anything to acquire a franchise quarterback. That’s because, in the absence of them, winning in the league is quite difficult.
The price to get Fields shouldn’t matter if the Steelers think he’s a better quarterback than Pickett and may become a franchise quarterback in the future. It is invaluable to have a cornerstone behind center.
But the real question is whether the Steelers feel that way about Fields or not about Pickett. The latter does not seem to be the case, at the very least.
Fields has amazing athletic ability. At an average of 7 yards per pass, he has thrown 40 touchdown passes. In 40 NFL games, he has also averaged 6.2 yards per carry and 14 rushing touchdowns.
He is, however, 10–28 as a starter.
John Babjak stated on X that “Fields is damaged good, like Mitch Trubisky.” “They play for a team that understands defeat.”
In 25 NFL games, Pickett has only thrown 13 touchdown passes, 13 interceptions, and an average of 6.3 yards per attempt. But as a starter, he is 14–10.
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