Steelers planning to pass on fifth-year option for QB Justin Fields

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Pittsburgh Steelers are not expected to pick up the fifth-year option on newly-acquired quarterback Justin Fields. If the Steelers did this, they would be on the hook for more than $25 million in 2025 just to pay Fields.

Trading for Fields was the second most exciting quarterback addition of the Steelers offseason. After completely gutting the quarterback depth chart, the Steelers went out and signed veteran Russell Wilson to be the starter and then pulled off the trade with the Chicago Bears to land Fields.

League sources do not expect the Steelers to pick up the $25 million fifth-year option on quarterback Justin Fields, whom the team acquired last month for a conditional 2025 6th-round pick. Fields and Russell Wilson both now will be entering the last year of their contracts. pic.twitter.com/qJWY1djtI7

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2024

This news means all three of the Steelers current quarterbacks are playing out the final years of their contracts in 2024. Some have said this is a prove-it year for Fields but short of a catastrophic injury to Wilson, Fields isn’t likely to see the field. This muddies up his value and future with the team.

Pittsburgh also has until the May 2 deadline to decide about the fifth-year option for starting running back Najee Harris.