Mike Tomlin made sure Steelers couldn't lose the Justin Fields trade, even if it hurt the team

After years of languishing with a subpar offense, the Pittsburgh Steelers renovated their quarterback room during the offseason. Just a few days after signing veteran quarterback Russell Wilson in free agency, the Steelers acquired quarterback Justin Fields in a trade with the Chicago Bears.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin named Wilson as the team's starter, and the quarterback held onto that starting role despite missing the early portion of the 2024 season due to a calf injury. Fields started the first six games of the regular season and led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record, but he was still sent to the bench once Wilson was healthy enough to return to the lineup.

The midseason quarterback change came with the risk of destabilizing a solid start to the season. Tomlin evidently believed Wilson gave the team a better opportunity to win, but the team also had a little additional motivation to bench Fields.

Steelers won't have to give up a fourth-round pick for Justin Fields

The trade agreement for Fields stipulated that the Steelers would send a 2025 sixth-round pick to Chicago, but that would be elevated to a 2025 fourth-round pick if Fields played at least 51 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps during the 2024 regular season, per ESPN's Field Yates.

Fields played just 36.1 percent of the team's offensive snaps this season, officially settling his trade compensation as a 2025 sixth-round pick. Fields played 405 total offensive snaps this season, but he received just 13 snaps after his last start in Week 6.

It's unlikely that the trade compensation played any significant factor in determining Pittsburgh's starting quarterback. In Fields' six starts, the Steelers offense consistently stalled out in their opponent's territory. They scored just one touchdown in their first two games, instead relying on kicker Chris Boswell's eight field goals. Fields led just 11 touchdown-scoring drives while taking 16 sacks and turning the ball over seven times.

Although Wilson provided the Steelers' offense with an immediate upgrade, he's stumbled through the final month of the regular season. Pittsburgh began the season with a 10-3 record and appeared poised to win the AFC North title, but the division slipped out of their grasp after they lost four consecutive games to close out the regular season. Wilson has scored just five touchdowns to go along with five turnovers in the past four games.

The Steelers will enter the playoffs as the AFC's No. 6 seed, which sets the stage for a third matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs.