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Steelers Tabbed As Favorites To Land Top Free-Agent QB
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been tabbed as the favorites to land this offseason's top free-agent quarterback.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been named the favorites to land the top free-agent quarterback this offseason with just Skylar Thompson signed for the 2025 season.
According to the latest odds, the Steelers are predicted to land quarterback Sam Darnold if he doesn’t return to play for the Minnesota Vikings next season.
Darnold had by far the best season of his six-year NFL career, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 regular-season finish.
Some might question why Minnesota wouldn’t consider paying him this offseason, but he struggled during the final two weeks of the season, leading to an eventual first-round exit in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
The Vikings also have 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy, who was forced to miss his rookie season after tearing his meniscus. So if Minnesota is willing to part with Darnold after just one season, the Steelers seem like a team primed to make a run at the former No. 3 overall pick.
Neither quarterback Russell Wilson nor Justin Fields are currently under contract past 2024. After delivering the same results the Steelers have had the past seven years, the team could look to start fresh once again.
However, Darnold does come at a risk, according to former quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky.
“I think Sam Darnold is clearly the best option when it comes to the realistic free agents,” Orlovsky said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “You can win a lot of games with him, but I do think it’s fair to say over the last two weeks, we’ve learned you’re not going to win games because of him.”
If the Steelers are willing to take that risk with the hope Darnold could be their franchise quarterback, the oddsmakers may be onto something.
Dishing out a lot of money to a quarterback with questions may not be the best decision for Pittsburgh, though, as it has more than just a quarterback problem to solve this offseason.