The Steelers' finish to the 2024 season -- five straight losses, including another first-round playoff exit -- didn't inspire much excitement entering the 2025 offseason.
Matters must be addressed, though, starting with the most important position in football. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are both headed toward free agency, and it sounds as if Pittsburgh is only aiming to bring back one of the two.
"I wouldn't close the door, but I'd say it's probably unlikely," Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II said Monday when asked if his team might keep both Fields and Wilson, via ESPN. "I think both of them see themselves as starters and I don't know that they want to share the same job again next year. So, I would say most likely we probably don't wind up bringing them both back."
Pittsburgh's 2024 tale suggested this might be the final outcome.
The Steelers entered the campaign with Wilson as their projected starter, but an injury prevented him from playing in the first six games of the season, forcing Fields into action. Fields posted a 4-2 record as a starter, but the Steelers were limited in what they could do offensively with the former first-round pick in the lineup.
That became even more evident once Wilson took the field, elevating the offense with accurate passing and a visible advantage in terms of playing experience. The Steelers peaked with Wilson in their shootout win over the Bengals in Week 13 -- a game in which Wilson threw for 414 yards and three touchdowns, managing to outduel Cincinnati's Joe Burrow -- then began a decline two weeks later, leading to their season-ending losing streak.
The thud that was the Steelers' finish left many wondering whether Pittsburgh would keep either quarterback. Both rightfully feel as if they've proven enough to deserve a starting job somewhere, but Pittsburgh has just one opening for the taking.
The Steelers know they have to sign one of them to fill the need in 2025, even if neither are long-term answers. With this in mind, don't be surprised if the Steelers add a younger quarterback to the equation in the spring, too.
"They're both capable quarterbacks, and my preference would be to sign one of them," Rooney said. "So that'll be the priority, and I think that will give us the best opportunity to move forward.
"We've got a whole quarterback room to fill, and so there's jobs open in there. I wouldn't be surprised if we look in the draft as well either this year or next, and so that's got to be the priority."
While Fields did a solid job of handling the starting duties, it's unlikely he did enough to convince the Steelers he can be their long-term answer, even if he is 11 years younger than Wilson. It would be understandable if they'd rather bridge the gap with Wilson now and hope to find a developmental option in the offseason.
Doing so might result in a multi-year deal for Wilson, even if he didn't quite perform well enough to completely justify it. That seems to be the preference of Rooney, who told reporters he'd rather have a quarterback under team control for multiple years than do another one-year contract with either signal-caller.
Still, with negotiations far from complete, Rooney kept the door open for either to return.
"I thought both Russ and Justin showed promise in certain stretches during the season, and I think they're both capable of being starters in this league," Rooney said. "So we have decisions, and they have decisions, too."
Essentially, the Steelers want some stability at the position, even if it doesn't raise their ceiling. Rooney admitted age is "a factor" in their decision, but even the average fan would likely agree that the Steelers were a better team with Wilson in the lineup than Fields.
Rooney entered 2024 with a directive to start winning playoff games, and his team failed to fulfill that demand. With this kind of expectation following them into 2025, it would seem Wilson is the logical fit over Fields.
Those expectations stretch beyond quarterback. Coach Mike Tomlin and his playoff victory drought were subjects of debate following the Steelers' first-round exit, with some calling for his job. Rooney resisted this notion Monday, pointing to Tomlin's overall track record as proof he's the right man for the job.
"When you look at how many games Mike has won in this league, you don't win that many games if you're not a good coach," said Rooney, whose team hasn't won a postseason game since 2016. "And I know he's frustrated like we all are in terms of not being able to take that next step, but we still feel good about him being the leader and still think he has the strengths that he always had in terms of being able to lead a team.
"The other side of the coin is when you look at the fact that we have six, seven, eight teams a year that turn their coaches over. When you have a good coach, you just try to keep building with them."
Stability is baked into the Steelers' identity. They've famously employed just three coaches since 1969 and aren't about to make a knee-jerk decision because of another playoff loss.
Perhaps they'll find their solution at quarterback. Just don't be surprised if it's a familiar face lining up under center in 2025.