The Pittsburgh Steelers are rumored to be a player in signing quarterback Sam Darnold this NFL offseason, per ESPN. Darnold played with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, and had an outstanding season with the team.

Pittsburgh is wrestling with whom should be their starting quarterback. The Steelers used both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in 2024, after overhauling their entire quarterback room. Wilson and Fields had mixed results. While the Steelers made the playoffs, they lost in the Wild Card Round to the Baltimore Ravens.

Darnold is expected to be pursued by the Vikings for a new contract. There are several other teams interested in Darnold, including the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders.

Minnesota finished the 2024 season with a 14-3 record.

The Steelers enter 2025 with major pressure on them to win 

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; The Pittsburgh Steelers take the field as head coach Mike Tomlin (middle) looks on before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Acrisure Stadium.
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The Steelers haven't had much success in the playoffs for the last decade. That's remarkable considering the team has yet to have a losing season under head coach Mike Tomlin.

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Tomlin enters 2025 with a bit of a hot seat under him. Steelers fans are exasperated with the team not winning. While Tomlin has the trust for now from team ownership, another quick playoff exit will likely get the coach fired.

That's part of the reason why this decision on who to sign at quarterback is so important. The Steelers just can't afford to get this decision wrong. Darnold is one of several quarterbacks the team is looking at. Pittsburgh is also considering signing Fields or Wilson to a new contract.

Darnold finished the 2024 season with the best numbers of his career. He threw 35 touchdown passes for a surging Vikings team and posted 4,319 yards through the air. Minnesota lost rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy to injury, but Darnold kept the flame burning all season for the squad.

Darnold is likely to be able to choose where he wants to go. The quarterback has played for the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers. 2024 was his first season in Minnesota. Darnold was considered a forgotten backup before last season. He is certainly not forgotten now.

In his career, Darold has 16,383 yards, with 98 touchdowns and 68 interceptions.