Steelers Shouldn't Give Sam Darnold Big Money Contract in Free Agency Amid NFL Rumors

The Pittsburgh Steelers need a quarterback with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields hitting free agency and it appears the organization may be in on one of the great surprises of the 2024 season, Minnesota Vikings signal-caller Sam Darnold.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the team is interested in Darnold, who is expected to command the biggest payday among free-agent quarterbacks.

The former No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft enjoyed a career renaissance last season under head coach Kevin O'Connell, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. He was a nominee for Comeback Player of the Year and looked to be a player Minnesota would want to get under contract sooner rather than later.

So-so play in the final games of the regular season, and a playoff performance that saw him stacked nine times while throwing a costly interception that ultimately put his team in a position where it could not comeback against the Los Angeles Rams, made it less clear that Darnold would return and the team's decision not to utilize its franchise tag on him all-but ensured it.

Despite his career-year, and the Steelers' dire need for consistency at the most pivotal position on the field, the team must resist the urge to sign Darnold.

Was the Darnold we saw this past season the real him or was his play directly related to O'Connell's system and his ability to coach quarterbacks? That there is no definitive answer to that question is cause for pause.

More so, though, is the lack of evidence that head coach Mike Tomlin and the staff he has assembled can provide the best offensive system for a potentially elite quarterback.

The Steelers have always employed a hardnose approach to the game by playing strong defense and at least attempting to introduce a run-first offense, all while instituting a rather vanilla, creatively starved passing game.

We saw it in the wake of Ben Roethlisberger's retirement, when neither Mason Rudolph, Devlin Hodges, nor Kenny Pickett could break through and be the elite passer that their predecessor was.

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields showed flashes but did not succeed because of the Steelers' offensive limitations.

Rather than focusing on paying a free agent quarterback and boatload of money, which they will have to do if they want to wrest Darnold away from other potential suitors, the team should focus on their coaching staff and figure out what kind of offensive football team they want to be.

Are the Steelers content to go through another season with a middling offense that does just enough to get Tomlin into winning territory and maybe have the team compete for a playoff position, with no real chance of actually winning a Super Bowl?

If so, re-sign Fields and actually let him play instead of benching him amid a winning record.

Or do they want to evolve the offense so that a passer they choose to pay significant money to can come in and play to his full potential?

The acquisition of D.K. Metcalf from Seattle for a second-round draft pick and a nice, big new five-year, $150 million contract extension would seem to suggest the answer is option two.

Until there is proof of a commitment to improving the offense beyond signing players and hoping they can reform a decade of mediocre output, wasting substantial money on a free agent like Darnold only proves the team is destined to go around this costly vicious circle for the foreseeable future.