‘Let Things Play Out:’ Steelers Plan to Enter 2024 With 3 QBs on Expiring Contracts
The Pittsburgh Steelers won't try to sign Russell Wilson or Justin Fields to a contract extension before the 2024 season.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into the 2024 season with the somewhat unusual circumstance of all three quarterbacks entering the final year of their contracts. Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen are all set to become unrestricted free agents next March, after the Steelers declined Fields’ fifth-year option earlier this offseason.
Speaking to the media for the first time this season before the Steelers’ joint practice with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, assistant general manager Andy Weidl said that probably won’t change.
“I think you just let them play itself out,” Weidl said. “You can’t worry too much about down the road. You keep an eye on it. You take it one day at a time. You watch these guys go out there and perform and evaluate it and make decisions based on it. At the end of the day, at the end of the season, you’ll know.”
The Steelers seem set to start the season with Wilson as the team’s starting quarterback, though head coach Mike Tomlin will want to continue to have the two compete until the end of the preseason. Weidl suggested that either could be a quality option.
“Those guys have been here every day in the offseason,” he said. “They’ve been in the building early. They stay late. They pour into their teammates. Guys are drawn to them. They’ve worked hard. I think, in camp, you’re seeing it. Obviously, Russell had a setback, but I think you saw yesterday what he’s capable of. He’s still got a lot of arm. He can hit every part of the field. He throws a majestic deep ball. Accurate.
“I think with Justin, he’s a dynamic athlete with a live arm. When he gets out and runs into the open field, it can be breathtaking at times.”
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Weidl said he’s been impressed by Wilson so far. He got to know the player from afar, actually from the losing sideline, when he was with Philadelphia and was never able to beat Russell Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks.
Since he’s been in Pittsburgh, Weidl has most noted his off-the-field personality as something that brings strong value to the Steelers.
“He’s a personable guy,” Weidl said. “He’s a football lover. His preparation, how he works, takes care of his body. Just being around him, he’s a really impressive guy. I always respected the player, obviously, but just getting to know the person, it’s been great.”
The Steelers may have a quarterback of the present in Wilson, but at 35 years old, he’s unlikely to be the quarterback of the future. They might have a future piece in Fields, even if he isn’t the starter right now.
But either way, it seems that the Steelers are content to let the season play out before they address their quarterback position for 2025 and beyond.
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