With the NFL’s legal tampering window opening in 2 days, the Pittsburgh Steelers stand on the verge of making a crucial call. The Russell Wilson and Justin Fields tug-of-war is nearing its conclusion, for sure. But the question around the league is who is going to win that? With both Wilson and Fields headed toward free agency, Steelers owner Art Rooney II had dropped a clear hint that the franchise would bring only one of them back. “I think both of them see themselves as starters and I don’t know that they want to share the same job again next year. So, I would say most likely we probably don’t wind up bringing them both back,” he had said in January.

Fields had all that could have made him the future of the Steelers. He gave them a commendable 4-2 start. Showed his dual-threat capabilities, scoring 10 TDs (5 in the air and 5 on the ground). And even took care of the ball better, throwing only 1 interception. He did have six fumbles, but five of them were on bad quarterback-center exchanges. But then he was benched by Mike Tomlin, losing out his place to Russell Wilson, a move that garnered widespread surprise. Interestingly, Tomlin took all on himself regarding the call.

“I spoke to Mike Tomlin about it last night and he said, look, ‘I went lone ranger on it.’ [Terry Bradshaw], you’re not the only one against this, there were a lot of people inside that organization who were as well,” Jay Glazer said on Fox NFL Sunday. “And he said, ‘look, if it doesn’t work out, I’ll take the heat, I’ll shoulder the blame, no problem,'” Glazer added. Wilson initially flourished, taking the Steelers to one game away from the AFC North title standing at 10-3. However, their castle started to crumble thereafter, eventually ending the season losing 5 in a row. Now as a decision is impending, looks like Fields might be first to move on, if the latest rumors are to be believed.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini has seemingly put cold water on the Steelers Nation’s hope of seeing Fields in black and gold next season. She reported, “Justin Fields, wanted back in Pittsburgh, is expected to test the market.” The Steelers can still sign him but not without outbidding other teams. But will they do that? Might be unlikely if you look at this.

Last month, Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly hinted that Rooney II probably prefers Wilson over Fields. “The people at the top of the organization that might take ultimate decisions are No. 3 fans over No. 2 fans,” Kaboly told The Fan‘s Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller. Interestingly, Wilson might have his own hurdles to overcome, as a report from Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette underlined that he and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith do not see eye to eye.

As for Fields, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported he wanted a starting job. So, the Steelers need to be comfortable giving him that guarantee in order to keep him around the organization. If not, speaking of other teams, Fields is already gaining traction from a franchise that never had a proper signal-caller since Joe Namath. Surely you can guess who we are talking about.

Top Comment by Nonobaddog

I hope Fields doesn’t go to the Jets, he would most likely end up in the same situation he had...more

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Will Justin Fields be the latest member of Gang Green?

Aaron Rodgers’ experiment didn’t work out. The Jets probably thought they would get a Tom Brady and the Bucs-like effect when signing the four-time NFL MVP. However, what they got was a reality check of their never-ending QB curse. QBs come and go but the Jets stay where they are—at the bottom. But it seems they are finally waking up and targeting someone who has clear desire to be a starter in the league. Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz believes the Jets are high on Justin Fields.

They think he possesses athleticism, leadership traits, and the ability to swerve in the pocket, which makes him an ideal fit for their vision. And Fields is touted to be the perfect big free-agent signing the Jets’ new regime is looking for. Now, you are probably thinking about the No.7 overall pick. What will the Jets do with it if not draft a QB? See the 2025 QB class is already weak, it’s an open secret. If they really want to get Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, the Jets will have to give up multiple firsts and second round picks/players. But with Fields available, the Jets could save themselves from all that trouble.

And there’s also no guarantee how the rookie QBs would perform in their first year. So, the Jets could probably use that No. 7 pick to draft a receiver, maybe. It wouldn’t be a bad idea, you know. They have just released Davante Adams so they need someone to help their future franchise signal caller. And with an explosive receiver paired with Fields’ dual-threat capabilities could prove positive for the Jets Nation.