Steelers $81 million promising young star predicted to leave Pittsburgh for Colts

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a frustrating 27-13 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, as Mike Tomlin’s squad had their two-game winning streak snapped and suffered their third road loss of the season. Pittsburgh will look to bounce back in Week 16 versus the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

Though the Steelers failed to get the job done on Sunday, the team is still having a fantastic 2024 campaign, posting a 10-4 record through 14 games and winning seven of their last nine games. Quarterback Russell Wilson has been Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback since Week 7 and has been one of the most efficient signal-callers in football, but the play of Justin Fields to start the year shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Fields started the first six games of the season while Wilson dealt with a calf injury, and the 2021 first-round pick flourished in Arthur Smith’s offense. The 25-year-old totaled ten touchdowns with just two turnovers during the first six weeks and posted a 4-2 record. Though Fields lost the starting job after Wilson returned from injury in Week 7, the young signal-caller has shown a ton of promise in 2024.

Fields is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason, and if the Steelers opt to let the former Ohio State star walk in free agency, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine predicts Fields will sign with the Indianapolis Colts to backup Anthony Richardson.

The Colts would be foolish to give up on Anthony Richardson any time soon. He’s still going to have his downturns and regressions, but he was always projected to be something of a long-term project. However, the Colts need to bring in a backup that has a similar skill set so the offense doesn’t have to change if he gets injured.

Justin Fields would be the perfect target. Fields might be settling into the career backup role after excelling at the job in Pittsburgh. He’s athletic enough to run all of the quarterback run game that the Colts feature with Richardson and a good enough passer to get by.

Signing Fields would be a savvy move from the Colts, as the former Chicago Bear would provide adequate depth at quarterback and give Richardson some competition. For Fields, joining Shane Steichen’s squad would give him an opportunity to work with a promising offensive-minded head coach.

Additionally, there is a good chance that the 2021 No.11 pick would eventually earn the starting role, as Richardson is clearly not a competent NFL quarterback, and Fields is a much more viable option at the sport’s most vital position.

If the Steelers decide to re-sign Wilson, who is also a free agent in 2025, over Fields, the Colts would be an intriguing landing spot for the former Buckeye.