In March, we heard it was extremely unlikely the Steelers would train the fifth-year choice on Justin Fields‘ rookie contract. Certainly, Pittsburgh seems to don’t have any plans to decide to Fields’ cash in 2025 with the choice deadline coming in simply over every week.
The Steelers are anticipated to say no an choice to pay Fields $25.7M absolutely assured subsequent 12 months, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter experiences. Groups have till Might 2 to train or decline choices; this has loomed as one of many extra predictable choices requires a bit now.
Fields’ worth across the league turned out to be far decrease than many anticipated, because the Bears ended up settling for a conditional sixth-round choose for a participant who has confirmed electrical as a runner however inconsistent as a passer by way of three seasons. Nonetheless, the Steelers made it clear upon buying Fields, 25, that they anticipate him to start the season as a backup to Russell Wilson. Mike Tomlin has since pried the door open for competitors, however as of now, the commerce acquisition is on observe to go from three-year Chicago starter to Pittsburgh backup.
When the choice is formally declined, each Wilson and Fields will probably be getting into contract years in 2024. The previous signed for the veteran minimal, barely slicing into the record-setting lifeless cash sum the Broncos face. Fields is underneath contract for $1.62M this season. As a result of Fields by no means made a Professional Bowl however certified as a full-time participant underneath the choice components, his choice quantity checked in on Tier 3 of the four-tiered construction that happened when the 2020 CBA ushered in absolutely assured choices.
Whereas the Steelers have each Wilson and Fields in contract years, a March report urged the group is contemplating preserving each gamers past 2024. Given every participant’s beginning historical past, this may be a extremely unlikely situation to drag off. Neither would stand to be excited by being an assured backup in 2025. This makes a possible 2024 commerce value monitoring; the Steelers at the moment have Kyle Allen in place as their third-stringer.
Wilson and Fields will probably be set to play out their present offers with the group, which isn’t planning to regulate a negotiating coverage that mandates no in-season contract talks. The Steelers are excited by revisiting Wilson’s pact, for now no less than, in 2025. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see how Fields components into this equation, seeing as he’s 10 years youthful than Wilson, who will flip 36 this season.
