Even if Russell Wilson has to compete for the starting quarterback job, his signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers could wind up as the biggest bargain of the offseason.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin revealed Justin Fields will have every opportunity to supplant Wilson as the starting quarterback. But, even if Fields leads the Steelers’ offense onto the field Week 1, there’s still a lot of reason to like Pittsburgh taking a flier on Wilson.
CBS Sports lists the Steelers signing Wilson as the biggest bargain of free agency, so far.
“Even in the seemingly unlikely event that Russell Wilson is beaten out for the starting gig by Justin Fields,”Jared Dubin writes for CBS Sports. “This is probably the best bargain contract of the offseason. Look at the prices backup quarterbacks are fetching on the open market, while Wilson signed for just $1.2 million. Russ is, of course, no longer the player he once was, but he doesn’t have to be anything close to that to be worth this price and more.”
How Much Cap Space do Pittsburgh Steelers Have?
Constructing one of the more affordable quarterback rooms in the league — with Fields entering the final year of his rookie contract, and Wilson playing for the league minimum, sets the Pittsburgh Steelers up in a pretty enviable position against the cap.
Even if the Steelers decide to pick up Fields’ fifth-year option, general manager Omar Khan still has some significant spending flexibility in 2024.
Pittsburgh currently has upwards of $15.2 million in cap space for the 2024 season, and thanks to both Wilson and Fields essentially in the final seasons of their current contracts, are expected to have $81.4 million in cap space in 2025.
Khan and the Steelers have set up plenty of optionality at quarterback, even though Fields’ option decision is looming on May 2.
For More Football News:
Follow Matt Lombardo on Threads at @MattLombardoNFL. To read more of our articles and in-depth NFL coverage, click here.
