NEWSLETTER
The Pittsburgh Steelers willingly started Mason Rudolph in a playoff game after Kenny Pickett was deemed healthy to play. If that doesn’t suggest that Pittsburgh is in the market for a new quarterback, then perhaps ESPN’s Adam Schefter saying that Mike Tomlin is a fan of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields might change your opinion.
At a minimum, it hints at the Bears and Steelers being potential trade partners in an offseason that could see Chicago shipping out Fields — a quarterback once seen as the franchise guy. More from Schefty on his appearance with The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN:
“We know that Pittsburgh is going to go out and get some type of quarterback. Whether that’s Ryan Tannehill, whether that’s Russell Wilson, whether that’s Justin Fields. Mike Tomlin is a big fan of Justin Fields. We’ll keep that in mind during the offseason and in the coming weeks. There will be a decision that the organization has to make in terms of the quarterback that they want to bring in. But they’re not just going to leave it as Kenny Pickett’s starting job. Mike Tomlin made that very clear.
Now, it’s which one of these quarterbacks do they make a move for, which one is somebody they can go acquire, and who fits into what they’re willing to give up — to either another team or to pay that player.”
Justin Fields landing spots began popping up in late January, but Pittsburgh hadn’t been explicitly pegged as a potential destination. For what it’s worth, the Steelers were on my short list of feasible teams that would make sense as a trade partner. But now, we have ESPN’s big-wig NFL insider Adam Schefter connecting the Steelers and Fields as a possible fit. The Super Bowl hasn’t even been over for 24 hours, and we’re already getting quality NFL gossip from one of the league’s biggest news-breakers. Keep your eyes open on this one, folks!
Are the Pittsburgh Steelers a fit for Justin Fields?
Justin Fields had as many passing touchdowns through Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season as Kenny Pickett has in his entire career as a starter in Pittsburgh. So that puts things into perspective when it comes to any questions about why the Steelers would target Fields in the first place. And for what it’s worth, Pittsburgh hiring Arthur Smith as its new offensive coordinator helps drive home why Fields could be on the Steelers’ radar.
Here is a snippet from when we discussed this possibility in late January:
I don’t want to read too much into Smith’s kind words about Fields. But I can see where this quote is perceived to be one where a coach is talking about a quarterback he’d like to have on his roster. It certainly has me thinking about Arthur Smith’s offense as a fit for where Justin Fields could thrive upon arrival. Think about what Smith’s offense did at the peak of its powers with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Derrick Henry, and wide receiver A.J. Brown. It wouldn’t be a 1-for-1 comp, but I can see that type of scheme working with Fields, running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and wide receivers such as Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.
Fields won’t be the only quarterback option for the Steelers this offseason. But after starting Mason Rudolph in a playoff game, it is hard to imagine Pittsburgh settling to run it back in 2024. And if the Steelers put out some feelers on free agents or don’t love the quarterbacks that will be available to them early in the draft, it would make sense if the Bears were on speed dial.
The last time the Bears and Steelers cut a deal, it turned out to be lopsided in Pittsburgh’s favor. Even though that shouldn’t stop the two teams from working together in the future, I can see why Chicago fans might be cautious about dealing with the Steelers. It may take some time to get the stink off the Chase Claypool trade. But still … this could be an opportunity for the Bears to maximize what they could get in a trade of quarterback Justin Fields.
While ESPN’s Adam Schefter thinks the Bears will “definitely” get a second-round pick in a Fields trade, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of Chicago getting a first-rounder out of the deal. Considering the highway robbery that Pittsburgh pulled off in the Claypool trade, conversations with the Steelers should start with the No. 20 overall pick and then see where they go from there. In the end, this feels like just the beginning of Fields-related rumor-tracking season. Stay tuned.
