Steelers Rumors: Justin Fields' 2025 Contract Option to Be Declined After Bears Trade

Featured Columnist IVApril 24, 2024

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 31: Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears looks on in the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field on December 31, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly made an early decision about Justin Fields' future this week.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Steelers plan to decline the fifth-year option on the recently acquired quarterback's contract.

The Steelers had a tough decision ahead of the May 2 deadline. Fields has never played a snap for the team after being acquired this offseason, making it hard for Pittsburgh to know whether it should seek two years of a sample size or just one.

The pros for declining the option seemed to outweigh the negatives.

For one, the fifth-year option for Fields was an estimated $25.6 million in 2025, which is starting quarterback money. Heading into the 2024 season, however, Fields will be the backup to Russell Wilson. It's certainly possible that he'll eventually win the starting job and even thrive in the role, but for now it's an unknown.

From an asset perspective, the Steelers only gave up a 2025 conditional sixth-round draft pick that could become a fourth-rounder depending on playing time. So even if Fields walks in a year, the Steelers didn't give up a ton of resources for a one-year rental.

Albert Breer @AlbertBreer
Source: The 2025 sixth-round pick the Steelers are sending the Bears for QB Justin Fields becomes a fourth-rounder if Fields plays 51% of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps in 2024. So very simple—if he becomes starter, for one reason or another, it's a 4.

And the team could always agree with Fields on an extension should he thrive or keep him on the franchise tag for the 2025 season.

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The only major incentive for exercising the fifth-year option was that it guaranteed two seasons (and potentially up to four depending on the team's franchise tag usage) with Fields, eliminating the possibility that he could depart in free agency in a year. That would have been beneficial if Fields plays like a star in 2024, and would also have been a vote of confidence in him.

If the young quarterback was less of a question mark in general, he likely would have demanded a greater return in a trade and wouldn't be heading to Pittsburgh as a backup. In that scenario, picking up the fifth-year option would have likely been a given.

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
Important note on the Justin Fields trade: At least four additional teams inquired about trading for Fields, but Fields' representation asked for him not to be traded there. He wanted the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Steelers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Steelers</a>, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bears?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bears</a> did right by him. <a href="https://t.co/jE65yV0jzm">https://t.co/jE65yV0jzm</a>

Courtney Cronin @CourtneyRCronin
Some context to add here from my reporting: In addition to Pittsburgh, there were 5 teams that reached out to the Bears to gauge their interest on a Fields trade, but the majority of those teams envisioned Fields as a backup. Chicago wanted to use the parameters of the Sam… <a href="https://t.co/IplzTxwJeT">https://t.co/IplzTxwJeT</a>

Joe Banner @JoeBanner13
Not even one team in NFL would trade more for Fields and the team that traded for him announced within minutes that he would be a backup. We still have some talking like the Steelers stole him.

Robert Mays @robertmays
The league clearly sees him as a backup QB, in the last year of his deal. Compared to 2 years for Pickett and Howell, both of whom went for very little this week. I'm not sure what magical return people were hoping for. <a href="https://t.co/SMrWyA1rCk">https://t.co/SMrWyA1rCk</a>

But while the 25-year-old is one of the most dynamic running quarterbacks in recent memory (2,220 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 40 career games), his ability in the pocket remains in question.

Fields has completed just 60.3 percent of his passes, has thrown 40 touchdowns to 30 interceptions and has taken 135 sacks in his career, a sign he has struggled to quickly read defenses and beat pressure with his arm.

Football Perspective @fbgchase
Here's the 32 QBs with the most pass attempts over the last 3 years. X-Axis: INT rate Y-Axis: Sack Rate Justin Fields is in Bears colors if that helps you spot him. <a href="https://t.co/NQWZW1ovAo">pic.twitter.com/NQWZW1ovAo</a>

Scott Barrett @ScottBarrettDFB
Justin Fields is v reminiscent of Colin Kaepernick where if you throw out sacks, he looks super nice analytically But most people massively underrate the importance of sacks*, and Fields is arguably the biggest sack-eater in NFL history *By EPA, 1 INT = ~2.5 sacks <a href="https://t.co/gDNcvJqA1j">pic.twitter.com/gDNcvJqA1j</a>

Mike Sando @SandoNFL
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bears?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bears</a> didn't misread Justin Fields market as much as public misread Fields eval 2 reasons ⁦this played out how it did, via ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/RandyMueller_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RandyMueller_</a>⁩ before trade: 1) Film showed Fields can't get ball out quick 2) NFL knew <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bears?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bears</a> drafting QB 37:20 mark👇 <a href="https://t.co/WSxHIj1xpn">https://t.co/WSxHIj1xpn</a>

The Bears didn't exactly surround him with elite talent, but his style of play clearly worried teams around the NFL.

Ultimately, the Steelers chose to take a flier on him and decline his fifth-year option. He'll be a fascinating player to watch this season after that decision.

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