Former GM thinks money could impact Steelers' Justin Fields, Russell Wilson situation

Whether or not Justin Fields should remain the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback whenever veteran Russell Wilson is cleared to return from his lingering calf injury continues to be the biggest story hovering over the organization heading into the final weekend of September.

During a Wednesday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, former NFL general manager/Steelers executive Doug Whaley suggested that current Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan could push for head coach Mike Tomlin to play Wilson because the club may want to limit how much it would have to pay Fields during the upcoming offseason.

"Do you sacrifice this year for the eye on the future?" Whaley asked, as shared by Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot. "So you keep the cost down and you know you got a guy. These are the things that you have to think about when you're the general manager. Now Mike Tomlin's like, 'Win, win, win, win every game.' But [Steelers president Art Rooney II] and Omar have to think financially. What puts the Steelers in a best position to compete for championships? Not this year but in subsequent years."

Wilson signed a team-friendly deal to join the Steelers in March, shortly before Pittsburgh acquired Fields from the Chicago Bears. The Steelers later declined the option for 2025 attached to Fields' contract, but he then helped the club win three straight games to open the season.

Per Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot, well-known team reporter Mark Kaboly told 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday he feels Wilson will eventually play this season because Fields has been more of a game manager than a top-tier player at the position. According to Pro Football Reference, Fields entered Thursday ranked 21st in the NFL among qualified players with a 47.4 adjusted QBR and 28th with an average of 172.7 passing yards per game. ESPN stats show that the Steelers will start Week 4 ranked 24th in the league with an average of 17.0 points scored per contest.

For a piece published Thursday, ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote that "Fields has stepped in admirably for Wilson" even though Pittsburgh's offense "hasn't been great." Fields will try to cement himself as the Steelers QB1 for the ongoing campaign when Pittsburgh plays at the 1-2 Indianapolis Colts this Sunday. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Steelers as 1.5-point favorites against the Colts.

Whaley is correct in that Fields could become more expensive with each victory he tallies through January. With that said, history shows Tomlin and not Khan will make the final call regarding who starts at quarterback and that Tomlin won't be thinking about the offseason months anytime soon.