Don’t Discount Sam Darnold as Option for Steelers
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN thinks Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold could be a sleeper option for the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency. Darnold lacks the mobility that Mike Tomlin covets, but he did have an impressive showing in 2024, minus the last two games of the season.
“The Giants, Raiders and Titans are among the logical options. And I’m not totally discounting the Steelers here — not yet, at least,” Fowler wrote in a news and notes column.
Fowler believes Justin Fields has an edge over Russell Wilson as the Steelers evaluate their 2025 quarterback situation. Fields should have a robust market, however. Several teams have their eyes on Wilson, too.
“The sense I get is that Justin Fields has an edge over Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh’s pecking free agent quarterback order,” Fowler wrote. “There is sentiment for Fields in the building, and both sides would be open to a return. The Steelers have at least another week to crystalize those plans, and they certainly haven’t ruled out Wilson at this point.”
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Adam Schefter of ESPN guarantees that Wilson or Fields will be back with the Steelers in 2025.
“Steelers’ next quarterback?” Schefter said when asked on Pardon My Take. “Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. One of them will be back.”
When asked by the hosts to pick one, Schefter named Wilson.
The Steelers saw the first domino of the quarterback offseason board fall as Matthew Stafford elected to stay with the Los Angeles Rams. After this was reported on Friday, further reports surfaced that Wilson has two new suitors in play as the new league year approaches.
The two new teams are the New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders. Both teams had reported interest in bringing Wilson on board before he joined the Steelers last March. The Raiders are interested in bringing in a proven veteran, as are the Giants, as they are evaluating Darnold and Aaron Rodgers, respectively.
It would make sense not only based on conversations last year but also on changes in organizational structure. The Raiders hired Wilson’s former head coach, Pete Carroll, and the Giants no longer have Daniel Jones–who Wilson likely would’ve competed with last year if he had gone to New York.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan indicated on Tuesday that solidifying the quarterback position before preseason is their priority. On Wednesday, it was reported that the Steelers are still in discussions with Wilson’s representatives on a possible contract.