Justin Fields contract: How long do Steelers have control, and when will they be looking for another QB?

It didn't take the Pittsburgh Steelers long to replace Kenny Pickett. In fact, they sent out less in draft pick value to get Justin Fields in a trade that broke on Saturday afternoon than they took in from sending Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Russell Wilson is reportedly the de facto starter in Pittsburgh, with Fields now entering a new season of his career as a QB2. He'll need to hope for an opportunity to prove himself again and/or retool his approach as the No. 2 gunslinger in town. Wilson may not be very good of late, but he has the historical hardware in his trophy cabinet to be given the benefit of the doubt with the Steelers... for now.

But, what's the runway with Fields? Contract values and timelines may give insight into the team's long-term view of the two quarterbacks, and how they see the offense playing out in 2025 and beyond.

Justin Fields is under contract for two more seasons, but has an advantageous out for Steelers

Right now, Justin Fields is under contract this year and in 2025, however, the 2025 part of his contract is a $25.67 million year (a huge raise from what he makes this year: $1.62 million) that is a club option. If the Steelers want to get out of the Justin Fields experience after this year, they can.

Of course, the Steelers could certainly negotiate an extension with Fields if they wanted to, but they would probably have to have a great deal of confidence in him to go that route. Until he's proven himself, there's little logic to pursuing a restructure and extension.

Notably, Russell Wilson's contract is up after just this year as well, with Pittsburgh signing him to a $1.21 million, one-year deal. So, the Steelers could completely tear down to the studs of their quarterback room after this year and hit reset.

Had the Steelers kept Pickett, they didn't have a clear out from his contract until 2026 when there was a team option. So a low-key upside of these two trades they made is clearing out and generating some long-term flexibility. Mind you, they also are net-positive on draft picks between these two trades, too, another tool in the chest for building the team.

The headline is about the Steelers completely retooling the quarterback room for this season. But the subheader is they just gave themselves plenty of optionality for the future as well.