The current Pittsburgh Steeler could be a free agent option
The New York Giants desperately need help at the quarterback position. Joe Schoen went into the season with Daniel Jones returning from a torn ACL, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito as the Giants’ quarterbacks; color me shocked, but it did not work out well.
I expect Schoen to pour assets into the quarterback room, just like he did in previous seasons when a position group was a liability.
In 2022, the Giants could not defend the run, and opposing teams ran for 146.3 yards per game. Schoen identified the linebackers as an issue and signed Bobby Okereke. He also understood that Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence should not consistently play 90% of the snaps, so he added A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches in that same offseason. Liability mended — at least on paper.
Schoen also found a proven pass catcher without burning first-round capital in Darren Waller. The move didn’t yield the desired returns, but the lack of a high-end pass-catcher was a commonly mentioned issue with the 2022 Giants.
Schoen followed a similar blueprint after the 2023 season. His offensive line misses in the draft forced him to sign Jermaine Eluemunor and Jon Runyan Jr. to finally fix the debilitating problems of the Giants’ offensive line. He also signed Chris Manhertz and drafted Theo Johnson to bolster the tight end room — a tight end room that had three bodies during the 2023 season, just one of which was a proven blocker (Daniel Bellinger).
It’s a perfectly fair critique to say that maybe the roster shouldn’t have glaring holes every season! This was most self-evident in 2024 with the quarterback position, bringing me to Justin Fields.
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus selected Fields as the one free agent the Giants should pursue this offseason. Here’s Locker’s explanation:
Thanks to their Week 17 win over the Colts, the Giants now hold the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft — which means both Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders could realistically be gone by the time they’re on the clock. Even if one were to fall to New York’s selection, it would be wise to add a cheaper bridge quarterback.
Fields played better through the first three weeks of his time in Pittsburgh, producing an 81.0 PFF passing grade with zero turnover-worthy plays while going 3-0. However, the former No. 11 overall pick struggled during his last three outings, posting only a 52.2 PFF passing grade with six turnover-worthy plays. Despite his passing inconsistencies, Fields offers value as a runner, securing no lower than a 72.3 PFF rushing grade during each of his four seasons. At worst, he would be a cheap, temporary starting option who is probably better than what New York currently offers.
The Giants allowed the Chicago Bears to trade up to pick No. 11 for the right to select Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft. Although the Bears were far from a competently led franchise, Fields struggled to find his footing in Chicago, so the Bears traded him to Pittsburgh for a conditional sixth-round pick swap that could convert into a fourth if Fields were to play 51% of the Steelers’ snaps, which he did not.
Fields started the season 4-2 for the Steelers, with Russell Wilson recovering from his calf injury. Despite the team’s success, Tomlin benched Fields and started Wilson, which helped the Steelers unlock a different — more explosive passing — offense.
Fields finished the season with 1,106 passing yards (6.9 yards per attempt), five touchdowns, and one interception. He had a Big Time Throw Rate of 3.4%. Fields added five rushing touchdowns, six fumbles, and 289 yards on the deck with ten missed tackles forced.
There is no denying the 25-year-olds dynamic ability with the football in his hands. The man is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, with exceptional agility and explosiveness, but his inability to consistently read the field, throw with anticipation, or keep an offense on schedule have been issues that his offenses had to coach around.
These issues were evident in his 2020 tape at Ohio State, which is one reason why I was skeptical of Fields as a first-round pick (see vs. Alabama, Northwestern, and Indiana). Still, I am interested in taking a shot on Fields at a discount rate. Do I believe he is a perfect match for Brian Daboll? No, but I would like to give Daboll a chance to work with Fields.
I would support the Giants signing Fields to a cheap contract as a second or possibly even third option. I want the Giants to foster an actual competitive environment at the quarterback position.
The more options Daboll has the better. If I were a betting man, I wouldn’t put much on Fields turning his career around to become the next Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, or Sam Darnold, but crazier things have happened, and I’m willing to roll the dice and see, with no strings attached, of course.
