Steelers owner pours cold water on potential blockbuster QB trade

In 2017, the Pittsburgh Steelers were an offensive juggernaut. Led by the All-Pro "Killer B's" trio, the Steelers offense ranked eighth in points per game (25.4) and third in passing yards per game (273.8).

Things have changed drastically for Pittsburgh since then. The 2023 Steelers scored the fifth-fewest points per game (17.9) and had the eighth-fewest passing yards per game (186.1). Head coach Mike Tomlin still managed to sneak his squad into the postseason with a 10-7 record, but it was obvious that Pittsburgh was the weakest team in the tournament.

As the Steelers look ahead to the 2024 NFL season, they've made it clear that evaluating the quarterback position will be a priority.

"I want us to be versatile and dynamic," Tomlin said at his year-end news conference. "Obviously, we've got to score more points. I want to be able to keep defenses off balance. I want to utilize all the talent that we have at our disposal. I'm excited about this process, and in the talent pool out there, and based on what I've seen thus far."

Recent reports have suggested that Pittsburgh may pursue Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields during the offseason, but team owner Art Rooney suggested that it's unlikely to happen.

Owner Art Rooney says Steelers are unlikely to make a "blockbuster trade"

Steelers owner Art Rooney II initially did not rule out the possibility of his team trading for a quarterback during the offseason.

"As we sit here in early February, we're not closing the door on anything," Rooney told KDKA's Bob Pompeani. "We have a lot of evaluations to go through. And we'll go through all the options and do what we need to do to be better this coming season."

But Rooney clarified his statements just a day later.

"The question that was asked was, would I consider anything like that as we sit here today," Rooney told WTAE's Andrew Stockey. "I said we don't want to close the door on anything, but I'd still put it in the unlikely category. We like to look at any opportunity we think can make us better. That's why I don't close the door on anything. I don't want to create a lot of speculation out there that we're going out looking to make some big blockbuster trade at the quarterback spot. I put it in the unlikely category."

Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett was expected to make a leap during his sophomore season, but he was largely disappointing throughout the 2023 NFL season. In his 12 starts, Pickett passed for just 2,070 yards and six touchdowns. In Week 18, he was relegated to backup duties after quarterback Mason Rudolph provided a much-needed spark to the offense. Rudolph, however, also hinted that his time in Pittsburgh may be coming to an end.

Mike Tomlin and Justin Fields

"We know the Pittsburgh [Steelers] is gonna go out and get some type of quarterback," ESPN's Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. " ... Mike Tomlin's a big fan of Justin Fields. We'll keep that in mind during the offseason and the coming weeks. So, there'll be a decision that that organization has to make, in terms of the quarterback that they want to bring in, but they're not going to just leave it as Kenny Pickket [keeping] his starting job. Mike Tomlin made that very clear. So now, it's which of these quarterbacks ... fits into what they're willing to give up either to another team or to pay that player?"

Justin Fields was a polarizing quarterback prospect during the 2021 NFL Draft. Tomlin attended Ohio State's pro day when Fields had his pre-draft workout, but it's unclear if Tomlin's visit was related to the quarterback or a different Ohio State prospect. Fields never made it far enough in the 2021 NFL Draft to find out the answer, as the dynamic quarterback was selected by Chicago with the No. 11 overall pick.

The Chicago Bears are the not-so-proud owners of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, where they'll likely select USC quarterback Caleb Williams as their quest to find a franchise quarterback continues. That means they'll look to trade Fields in exchange for additional draft picks. Fields is entering the final year of his rookie contract. but any team that acquires him would have until May 2 to exercise the fifth-year option attached to his deal. Fields has a low cap hit of $6 million for the 2024 NFL season, but the fully guaranteed fifth-year option is projected to be worth roughly $22 million.

Fields' projected market value is a six-year contract worth up to $283.1 million, per Spotrac. That would be a lot to invest in a quarterback that hasn't done much to instill confidence during his three years in the league.

"He still leaves too many throws on the field," Greg Cosell said on the Ross Tucker Podcast. "He doesn't consistently see it or process it with the needed clarity and speed, but obviously he gives you a designed run game dimension, he gives you the scramble dimension, and he's arguably the fastest straight-line quarterback in the league right now. ... He's got a little bit of an elongated delivery that at times makes him a beat late with throws that demand precise timing. So he's an interesting quarterback because the special plays are special, but too many routine ones are missed."

Pittsburgh's new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has utilized mobile quarterbacks in the past, so perhaps the Steelers could offer Fields more organizational stability and speed up his development.

Still, the asking price for Fields would reportedly be a first- or second-round pick. The Steelers currently hold the No. 20 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which would be a lot to give up.