Steelers Still In on Vikings QB

A majority of the chatter surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback options this offseason has revolved around Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, thus there'd be at least a little bit of astonishment if they were to diverge from that path.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler isn't ready to count Pittsburgh out of the Sam Darnold sweepstakes, however, but they're far from alone on his list of potential suitors.

“The Giants, Raiders and Titans are among the logical options. And I’m not totally discounting the Steelers here — not yet, at least,” Fowler wrote.

The Minnesota Vikings don't appear particularly likely to use the franchise tag, which would cost $40.24 million, on Darnold as a means of retaining him due to the impending return of 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy from a torn meniscus that wiped out his entire rookie campaign.

There's a scenario in which Minnesota tags-and-trades Darnold, though the gears have yet to turn on that front.

Should the 27-year-old reach the open market, he'd slot in as the favorite to command the largest deal amongst free agent signal callers after throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this past season.

While Darnold's play declined towards the end of the year, culminating in a disastrous Wild Card round loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams, he still led the Vikings to a 14-3 record, earned his first Pro Bowl nod and was a finalist for the Comeback Player of the Year Award.

A lot would have to transpire in order for the Steelers to suddenly become a serious pursuer of Darnold, though. For starters, both Fields and Wilson would have to end up elsewhere, and there's little indication that the team would let that happen after general manager Omar Khan hinted that he'd prefer to re-sign one of them before the beginning of the new league year on March 12.

Furthermore, Pittsburgh would have to be comfortable with the idea of shelling out a boatload of money to Darnold despite his struggles and inconsistencies throughout the first six seasons of his career before joining the Vikings.

While you can never say never, it's far more probable that the Steelers keep either Fields or Wilson than take a long look at bringing in Darnold.

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