The NFL offseason has barely begun, but the annual tradition of rampant trade speculation is already kicking into gear.
The most recent rumor came early on Thursday, when Ryan Burr of the Big 10 Network suggested that the Pittsburgh Steelers had “made inquiries” about a potential trade for Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Burr claimed that the report was coming “directly from” the Jaguars organization, but the report was quickly shot down.
During an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero called the report “fake” and said the Steelers “never” called Jacksonville about Lawrence.
Even if Jacksonville regrets the monster contract they handed to Lawrence last offseason, the trade rumor never made much sense. Even with a post-June 1 designation, trading Lawrence would cost the Jaguars $30 million in dead money over the next two years. Without any viable alternatives available at the position, shipping him away wouldn’t make much sense.
Steelers' only realistic quarterback option isn't Trevor Lawrence
The Steelers, who currently do not have a starting quarterback under contract for next season, will have to continue their search for a franchise quarterback elsewhere. At this stage, their best option will likely be to re-sign quarterback Justin Fields.
Although veteran quarterback Russell Wilson may be a better quarterback than Fields right now, Wilson has proven that his best days are far behind him. The 36-year-old quarterback could carry the Steelers to another playoff appearance, but they would likely see another early exit.
Fields has been one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in the league ever since the Chicago Bears selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Fields hasn’t displayed the pre-snap or post-snap processing abilities that are required to excel at the professional level. Those weaknesses keep him from being a consistent quarterback, but his athletic ability can still help the team produce points.
The fourth-year quarterback led the Steelers to a 4-2 record during his six starts in 2024, which suggests that he could find more success in Pittsburgh than he did in Chicago. Hoping he can maintain that success over a full season is a gamble, but it’s a gamble that Pittsburgh needs to make.
Pittsburgh has been stuck in NFL purgatory — they haven’t been bad enough to earn a high draft pick or good enough to win a playoff game. In the past four years, the Steelers have posted a 38-29-1 record (.566 winning percentage) in the regular season. They’ve lost five straight playoff games, including four wild-card round losses in the past five seasons. Whether Fields is a success or a disaster, it could ultimately help the Steelers move out of mediocrity.