Sullivan: Darnold And The Steelers Are A Match

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With news of Geno Smith's trade to the Raiders and Justin Fields entering free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers are rapidly exhausting viable options at the quarterback position.

Although the team intended to resolve their starting quarterback situation before the start of free agency on Monday, they appear to be far from achieving that goal—unless they explore alternatives beyond signing Fields or veteran Russell Wilson.

One potential avenue for the Steelers to explore is Sam Darnold, who recently delivered a career-best season with the Minnesota Vikings. Reports suggest that the Vikings intend to move on from Darnold, positioning him as a strong candidate for the Steelers. This view is echoed by NFL writer Tyler Sullivan, who, in his latest piece for CBS Sports, matched Darnold to Pittsburgh as a fitting option.

"I think Pittsburgh reached its ceiling with Russell Wilson last season, and it resulted in another one-and-done in the postseason. While they also have Justin Fields hitting the open market, I have a hard time believing that they believe in him going forward. After all, wouldn't they have started him last year if they did? With the idea that they are not in love with their quarterback situation from last year, let's have the Steelers going for broke by signing Sam Darnold."

Although the Steelers have substantial cap space as they approach free agency, it remains uncertain whether they would be willing to meet the potential price required to secure his signing—a price that the Seattle Seahawks may be more inclined to accommodate.

Beyond Sam Darnold, the Steelers might consider taking a chance on former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. After his release from the Giants in November 2024, Jones was signed by the Minnesota Vikings. Another potential option is future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is coming off a lackluster two-year stint with the New York Jets—a period marked by significant upheaval, including the dismissal of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas during the past season.

Alternatively, the Steelers could look to the draft. They have already hosted Tyler Shough from Louisville for a pre-draft visit and conducted formal interviews with several quarterbacks at this year’s NFL Combine, including Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss.