Could Browns Biggest Rival Consider Blockbuster Trade For Young Quarterback?
Just one day removed from Super Bowl LVIII, the quarterback rumor mill is hot and heavy already across the NFL.
One team that is likely to dabble in what's expected to be a very active market is the Browns biggest rival Pittsburgh, who saw its playoff run snapped on Wild Card Weekend by the Bills. At the time, head coach Mike Tomlin stuck with veteran backup Mason Rudolph under center as he led the team on a three-game win streak to close out the regular season.
At the team's postmortem press conference, Tomlin declared that 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett would return to QB1 going into the offseason, while also vowing to bring in competition at the position.
While the NFL Network reported over the weekend that one QB the Steelers may pursue is Ryan Tannehill, who has ties to new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, another insider linked the franchise to a couple other signal callers.
On an appearance with the Pat McAfee show, ESPN's Adam Schefter mentioned the names Justin Fields of the Bears and Russell Wilson of the Broncos as potential options for Pittsburgh. Schefter added that Tomlin is reportedly a "big fan" of Field, in particular.
The prospect of Fields joining the Steelers is one that should get Cleveland fan's attention. Fields is one of the most athletically gifted quarterbacks in the NFL and led the league in rushing at the position in 2022 with 1,143 yards Despite dealing with injuries this past season, Field still amassed 657 yards in 13 games, which was second only to league MVP Lamar Jackson.
Through three seasons there are still some questions about the Ohio State product as a passer considering he's never eclipsed over 3,000 yards through the air. Still, he'd likely represent an upgrade for the Steelers QB room over.
It remains to be seen if Schefter's reporting will come to fruition. The Bears have a decision to make about what they want to do with Fields, but considering that they possess the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and have an opportunity to add a rookie QB, there is a lot of speculation that they will look to deal Fields. Last week Schefter also indicated the asking price for the third-year starter could be a second-round pick.
As for Wilson, he and the Broncos hit an impasse this season over the injury guarantees in his contract, which resulted in the team benching him down the stretch of the season. It's unclear if the two sides will try to resolve things for 2024 or if their disagreement will lead to Wilson also being moved this offseason.
