The Pittsburgh Steelers figured to be one of the most active teams on the quarterback market this spring. They finished with a winning record in 2023 and qualified for a playoff spot in the brutal AFC, but had a serious lack of production from their quarterback position, and had one of the more anemic offenses in the entire NFL.
Steelers Add Another Quarterback, Bringing In Justin Fields
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The #Bears are trading QB Justin Fields to the #Steelers, sources say. A new QB into the competition. pic.twitter.com/hGQpbVwoRA
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2024
They moved rather quickly, executing a trade earlier in the month in order to bring in Russell Wilson. But that wasn’t the end of their transformation of the QB room, and Mike Tomlin and company now have one of the most interesting (and most affordable) quarterback situations in the league.
There were rumors that were linking Justin Fields to Pittsburgh before last season even ended. It seemed as though they’d go a different direction, though, trading for Wilson, who was brought in to be the team’s starter. But no other teams seemed to want to take a chance on Fields, and the Steelers saw their opportunity.
On Friday, Fields was also traded to Pittsburgh, who sent the Chicago Bears a late-round pick in exchange.
It creates an interesting dynamic for the Steelers. There was thought around the league that Fields would be a hotter commodity than he was, and the Bears appeared to have sold low when the market appeared to dry up. While Wilson will undoubtedly be the presumed starter heading into training camp, Fields provides a solid backup option should Wilson suffer an injury or see a serious drop in production.
Pittsburgh Will Pay Just $4.4 Million To Their QBs In 2024
The Steelers will devote only $5 million in cap space — 1.9 percent of the total available for 2024 — to their top two quarterbacks. https://t.co/6rerGZXFGg
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 11, 2024
They’re affordable, too. Due to the Denver Broncos being stuck with a huge price tag for Russell Wilson over the next two years, the Steelers were able to sign him for cheap, dishing out just $1.2 million for the 1-year deal. The Broncos, on the other hand, have incurred the largest dead cap hit in NFL history, and will pay Wilson $85 million combined in 2024 and 2025.
With Wilson making just $1.2 million, and Fields set to take home $3.2 million, the Steelers now have one of the least-expensive quarterback rooms in the league, and are far from the least talented.
As of mid-March, the Steelers have the 4th-cheapest QB room in the NFL. The only teams behind them are the Bears and Commanders, who don’t currently have a starting quarterback, and the 49ers, who have the famously cheap Brock Purdy as their starter.
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