Carr was also replaced because he could not cut it as a starter in Las Vegas. It's not a good thing for either of them. Carr is a bit better than Fields but competition would have helped.

I don't think Fields 5th year option will be picked up for $25 million. He has never played like he is worth $25 million a year. If a team had traded a 1st round pick for him maybe they would have forced themselves to pick it up, but no team was that dumb. The base case is a player who has played as many games as Fields is who he is, the exceptions are the exceptions. The Steelers are smart to pick him up because if they decline his 5th year option and he doesn't play enough snaps badly enough to prove he is a bust, some team may be willing to pay him $10 million (definitely not 25) and that will still net the Steelers more than they paid in a comp pick for 2025. The Steelers might end up with two 4th round comp picks for Wilson and Fields.

I think it would be good to have a backup who can challenge Carr. He performed his best last season after being booed and when there were calls to bench him. Some people perform best under pressure. I would look to bring in Stidham to light a fire under Carr.

Peterman may serve a purpose. I am not convinced that DA has given up on Taylor in the slot. With Peterman in camp, Taylor may have an opportunity to build confidence in the slot during training camp and restore fans confidence with countless interceptions in 1:1 drills off Peterman. How that will translate to real games remains to be seen.