Gerry Dulac: Steelers might not have to run far to find next year's QB

Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jan 21, 2025

Published in Football

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PITTSBURGH — After watching the divisional round playoff games over the weekend, and knowing what is expected to be available in free agency, the Steelers might have already decided who will be their quarterback in 2025.

Mike Tomlin, who has been enamored with mobile quarterbacks and the problems they present for opposing defenses, was likely reminded of that when six of the eight teams who were remaining in the postseason had athletic quarterbacks who can run. Four of those teams are still alive in their pursuit of the Super Bowl.

The Steelers already have one of those: Justin Fields, who is the most athletic player on the team and the quarterback who was favored by some of the offensive coaches to be the starter this past season.

Granted, Fields does not have the credentials to be lumped into same category as Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes — the four quarterbacks left standing. But he has the same skill set. And the Steelers liked the way he developed from his Chicago days in the six games he started at the beginning of the season.

What's more, any of the top quarterbacks who are expected to be available in free agency — Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones — do not appear to interest the Steelers more than what they have with Fields.

He was not the same quarterback who won only 10 games in three seasons with the Bears. Fields completed nearly 66% percent of his passes, threw just one interception in 161 attempts and accounted for 10 touchdowns, including five rushing. Don't forget, he ran for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns with the Bears in 2022.

The Steelers have not made any determinations about re-signing any of their three quarterbacks — Fields, Russell Wilson or No. 3 Kyle Allen — all of whom are free agents.

"We are certainly open to considering those guys, but there's a lot of work ahead of us," Tomlin said at his year-end press conference. "The major work, obviously, starts first and foremost just understanding what our options are, what the field looks like in terms of free agency, what the draft pool looks like and then beginning the process in terms of decision-making based on known variables."

Tomlin has always expressed his desire of having a mobile quarterback in today's NFL.

They make the rest of the running game more effective because opposing defenses can't ignore them and focus solely on the running back. Of the six teams with mobile quarterbacks over the weekend, each ran for at least 147 yards. Three teams — Baltimore (176), Washington (182) and Philadelphia (285) — had quarterbacks who combined to run 29 times for 160 yards.

Of course, having Saquon Barkley makes Hurts (seven carries for 70 yards) even more dangerous.

If the Steelers do settle on Fields, there is still a matter of who will be the backup.

They have always preferred having a No. 2 quarterback with extensive experience, players such as Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich, Mitch Trubisky and even Fields himself. Allen is a good addition to the quarterback room, but he has started just four games the past five seasons and just 19 in his seven-year career.

The Steelers signed former Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson to a reserve/futures contract last week. But that was more of a temporary safeguard because all three quarterbacks were without contract.

The best addition would be Jones, the former New York Giants quarterback. And would the Steelers consider another reunion with Mason Rudolph?

That's all part of what the Steelers will decide before free agency begins March 12. But, after this past weekend, maybe the decision is beginning to come into better focus.

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