The Pittsburgh Steelers earned a compensatory draft pick when Justin Fields signed with the New York Jets in free agency.
But just how high that pick ends up in the 2026 NFL Draft depends on a proprietary league formula, and the better Fields does this season, the higher that pick ends up.
Bad news for the Steelers: The Jets are 0-7, and Fields might be getting benched.
The Jets pulled Fields from Sunday's game at halftime for backup Tyrod Taylor.
On Monday, head coach Aaron Glenn wouldn't commit to who his QB would be going forward. That's not a great vote of confidence in Fields.
The confusing thing about the comp pick is that the NFL's formula isn't actually known. But it is known that playing time matters.
If Fields didn't suit up the rest of the season, he would've played less than half of the Jets' snaps.
If he keeps playing, of course, that quickly would push to half of the season snaps and beyond.
“The Steelers could be harmed by Fields’ benching," writes Steelers Now's Alan Saunders. "They are currently projected to earn a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft thanks to the NFL’s compensatory draft pick formula for departing free agents. Contract value and playing time are the primary components of that formula. So Fields’ benching could drop that pick down from its current expected value.”
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The Jets really don't get a lot out of playing Taylor, either. Fields is the only QB they have that could even potentially have long-term value.
But at least in the short term, New York might make a change just to chase after a singular victory.
Whatever happens there will impact the Steelers' comp pick in some way. They just won't know exactly how much it mattered until the NFL eventually unveils where that pick will fall.
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