Pittsburgh Steelers Have Potential Problem in Trading for Justin Fields
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been heavily linked to a potential Justin Fields trade, but while it’s definitely a good fit, a move for the Chicago Bears QB comes with its own risks.
If the Steelers were to acquire Fields from the Bears, his contract will quickly come to focus.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Potential Justin Fields Problem
Aaron Schatz of ESPN agreed that the Steelers need to trade for Fields this offseason. With the Bears likely to move him as they look to take a quarterback with the no. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Fields should be available for a rather good price.
While the Steelers have publicly backed up Kenny Pickett, there is no denying that Fields is the better QB with a higher ceiling. His dual-threat ability should be particularly useful, especially amid the rather average offensive line of Pittsburgh.
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.
Here’s what Shatz wrote about the Steelers’ need to trade for Fields:
“Fields did have a higher QBR than Kenny Pickett last season, 46.1 to 38.2, but that’s primarily because of his rushing ability. As a passer, Fields just hasn’t developed much in three years. His highlight plays are interspersed with too many run-of-the-mill failures, and he takes too many sacks. But the issue here is upside. Fields still has more upside than a lot of other young quarterbacks. If you could develop his passing, you would have a good NFL starter. And Fields’ scrambling ability would be particularly important behind a Pittsburgh line that ranked just 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.”
