Steelers Expected to Offer Contract to Free Agent QB
The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to make an offer to free agent quarterback Sam Darnold when the free agent contact period opens on Monday, according to a report by Dianna Russini of The Athletic on Sunday evening.
The Steelers have been focused on re-signing one of their internal options, Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, but despite preferring Fields, they have not been able to come to do an agreement with him on a contract. Sources told Steelers Now late last week that the Steelers and Fields were far apart on a contract, leading to the expectation around the league that Fields will test the free agent market.
The Steelers wanted to have a quarterback under contract before the start of the free agent period, general manager Omar Khan said at the NFL Combine late last month. But that won’t be possible if it’s not one of the team’s two internal options and momentum seems to have waned for bringing Wilson back.
Darnold is a sensible alternative, and the market for him may not be as robust as had initially been speculated. The Seattle Seahawks are also expected to be interested in Darnold after trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders late last week.
Darnold is also not expected to the Minnesota Vikings, where he had a career resurgence in 2024. After rookie J.J. McCarthy was lost for the year to a preseason injury, Darnold played surprisingly well, leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record, the club’s best since 1998.
That prompted throughs that Darnold might stick around for longer than the one-year deal he signed with the Vikings last offseason. But Darnold struggled in losses to the Detroit Lions in Week 18 and the Wild Card playoff to the Los Angeles Rams.
The Vikings let Darnold’s contract void earlier this offseason, and they chose not to use the franchise tag on him, allowing him to be contacted by other teams at noon on Monday.