With free agency only a few days away, it sounds like the Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to bring back Justin Fields. Reports indicate he is their first target, with Russell Wilson likely being their backup plan. However, CBS Sports analyst Tyler Sullivan believes Sam Darnold is the pending free agent the Steelers should target.
“If they want to clear the deck and find somebody that can give them potentially a higher ceiling, or just a fresh face, I think that’s Sam Darnold,” Sullivan said Friday on CBS Sports HQ. “I think that this team has been stuck in the mud a little bit over the last few years.
“They’ve been competitive, in the hunt, they make the playoffs, one and done. I feel like that would be more of the same if they bring back this crew of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. You’ve kind of, I feel like, have reached your ceiling with those two as your quarterback.”
Sullivan’s perspective is an interesting one. He’s not wrong that the Steelers feel stuck. Their past few seasons have all felt very similar. They sneak into the playoffs, only to get crushed by a much better team. They’ve been unable to win more than 10 games in a season, being just good enough to have a winning season.
That’s left Steelers fans frustrated. The franchise is used to competing for championships, but it haven’t done that in a while. Last year, it did feel like the Steelers maxed out their potential with Wilson. He started 11 games, and while he performed well to start, eventually things went south. Wilson wasn’t the only reason the Steelers were losing, but he wasn’t helping.
However, it’s hard to say the Steelers hit their ceiling with Fields. He only started the first six games, getting benched once Wilson was healthy. It felt like there’s more meat on the bone there, especially if Fields re-signs and gets a full offseason working as the starter.
Just as well, it’s tough to say Darnold would drastically improve the Steelers. While he was spectacular last year, it’s tough to say he could recreate that magic with the Steelers. The Minnesota Vikings have a much better offense than the Steelers. Darnold might be an upgrade over Fields and Wilson, but it’s tough to say for sure that he would succeed in Pittsburgh.
That doesn’t mean Sullivan is wrong. Perhaps Darnold would help the Steelers finally win a playoff game. It does feel like they’re stuck in a rut, and maybe doing something different would change that. Sticking with the status quo is part of what got them here to begin with.
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