Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Justin Fields could be one of the more interesting players to watch during 2025 free agency.
Fields is in the final year of his four-year, $18.9 million rookie contract after Pittsburgh declined the 2021 first-round pick’s fifth-year option in May.
The Steelers went 4-2 in Fields’ six starts. With Pittsburgh, the former Bears starting quarterback has a career-best 65.8 percent completion percentage and 1,106 passing yards (6.9 yards per attempt), five touchdown passes and one interception. Fields also has 274 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 60 carries.
Here are five potential destinations for Fields in 2025:
Pittsburgh Steelers
Let’s start with the case for Fields staying with his current NFL home.
Fields did a fine job while starting in Wilson’s absence — just not enough to convince head coach Mike Tomlin to keep him as Pittsburgh’s QB1.
With Wilson, who turns 36 on Friday (Nov. 29), at the tail end of his career, Fields might not be a backup for long. The Steelers are the NFL’s most stable franchise and could give Fields the best opportunity for long-term success.
Pittsburgh (8-3) is one win away from trying the Cowboys (1965-1985) for the most consecutive non-losing seasons in NFL history. The Steelers haven’t posted a losing record since 2003, when they went 6-10.
In Chicago, Fields had two head coaches (Matt Nagy, Matt Eberflus) and two offensive coordinators (Bill Lazor, Luke Getsy) in three seasons.
Based on where he came from, would anyone blame Fields for choosing consistency over a potentially dysfunctional setting elsewhere?
Baltimore Ravens
It takes two to tango. Perhaps the Steelers saw enough from Fields and want to go in another direction. In that scenario, what better way for Fields to stick it to his former employer than by signing with its nemesis?
Thanks to Fields’ dual-threat ability, Baltimore could use him in some of its designed quarterback runs to preserve Lamar Jackson’s health.
Fields rushed for 1,143 yards in 2022, 64 yards shy of breaking Jackson’s all-time record for a quarterback. (h/t Stathead)
Kansas City Chiefs
As with the Ravens, the Chiefs wouldn’t offer Fields much playing time. But if any coach in the league could maximize his talents in creative ways, it’s Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
Kansas City, which signed former Eagles starting quarterback Carson Wentz as its backup in April, could also use a better insurance policy in case Patrick Mahomes misses time.
New York Jets | New York Giants
With both New York franchises expected to be in the quarterback market during the offseason, Fields could be an enticing option.
Neither looks to be a quarterback away from contending, so Fields might be nothing more than a stopgap option until the teams are ready to compete at a high level.
Where Fields plays in 2025 will depend on his motivations. He might be able to land a starting job on a rebuilding team, but he could also join a Super Bowl contender as arguably the league’s best backup quarterback.
