Mike Tomlin Addresses Steelers QB Plans As Russell Wilson, Justin Fields Enter Free Agency

Wilson has made it clear he would like to remain with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson warm up for a game.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson warm up for a game. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
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The futures of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are up in the air after they both played their first seasons with the team. Both veteran quarterbacks were signed to one-year deals last spring, meaning they'll soon be free agents.

The Steelers organization hasn't given much of an update regarding the future status of Wilson and Fields, that is until coach Mike Tomlin commented briefly on the situation on Tuesday just a few days after the Steelers' season came to an end following a 28–14 wild-card loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

"We are certainly open to considering those guys, but we have a lot of work ahead of us," Tomlin told reporters.

Many NFL analysts think the Steelers need to search for another starting quarterback for 2025, along with making a few other big changes in order for the team to have the playoff success they've been lacking for years. Tomlin's job has a question mark around it now possibly, too, as analysts have posed the idea of the longtime Pittsburgh coach being traded elsewhere.

Wilson has made it clear, especially this week, that he wants to remain a Steeler in 2025. He had a late start to the '24 season because of a calf injury, but he finished the year with a 63.7% completion rate, throwing for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games.

Fields started in the first six games during Wilson's absence, getting the team off to a 3–0 start before dropping two games. He completed 65.8% of his passes for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and one interception throughout the season. He also rushed for 289 yards and five touchdowns on 62 carries.

We'll see if the 2025 season prompts a second consecutive shake-up in the Steelers' quarterback room after Pittsburgh traded away Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph last offseason before signing Wilson and Fields.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.