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The Pittsburgh Steelers inherited Justin Fields’ rookie contract via a trade with the Chicago Bears earlier this offseason. However, the deal has only one more year on it, so the Steelers have to decide whether to take Fields' fifth-year option or wait until he proves it, in which case the price of an extension goes up significantly.
Fields signed a four-year rookie contract worth $18.8 million with the Bears. While the Steelers do have a fifth-year extension clause for Fields, they appear hesitant to exercise it.
Justin Fields isn’t the only one on the Steelers' roster facing this issue, as running back Najee Harris has entered his fourth year too. At the pre-draft press conference, GM Oliver Khan discussed the delay in using the fifth-year option for both players:
“Yeah, we have ‘till May. I’ve said this before we have until May 2nd to make that decision. So, we’ll focus on the draft this week, and I’m sure we’ll have some serious conversations about that next month.”
Harris was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. The RB has been strong for the team over the years and has always broken the 1,000-yard barrier.
Khan also stated that they’re not shy about drafting another QB in the upcoming draft. The Steelers possess the 20th pick in Round 1, however, this could change if the team elects to trade up or down in the draft.
Justin Fields is in a similar boat to other Steelers QBs
The Steelers' roster is already brimming with QB talent and one thing they all have in common is that they have only one year remaining on their contracts. Apart from Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and Kyle Allen have been signed this year to one-year deals.
Wilson is expected to be the mentor to Fields during this season, but it has been reported that the duo could jostle for the starter role and nothing is set in stone. There is a lot of time between now and the start of the season, so this will be a situation to keep an eye on.
