"The Steelers have made it very clear they'd like to bring back one of those two quarterbacks. They've spoken to [Wilson], they'll be talking to Fields," ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday. "But there will be a market for Fields. A number of teams interested in him, and we'll see whether or not that includes Pittsburgh."

As for which quarterback the Steelers would prefer to retain, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Sunday that "sources say it's still undecided," though Pittsburgh is "likely to have Wilson or Fields back on a short-term deal while also continuing to seek a long-term answer, potentially through the draft."

Fields, 25, played well as Pittsburgh's starter last year, throwing for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and an interception while completing 65.8 percent of his passes and taking 16 sacks. He also rushed for 289 yards and five scores, and the Steelers went 4-2 in his starts.

The Steelers went just 6-5 in Wilson's starts, meanwhile, though they faced a buzzsaw at the end of the season, with matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens (twice), Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals in the final five weeks. Pittsburgh lost all five of those games, ceding the AFC North title to the Ravens in the process.

It was clear that the Steelers took a more conservative approach to the passing game with Fields under center, preferring he take less shots down the field and avoid turnovers. Once Wilson returned the passing game opened up a bit more, with the veteran throwing for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five picks.

With Wilson, the Steelers gained 7.4 yards per pass attempt. With Fields, that number sat at a more modest 6.9. The league average at the mark was 7.1, with Wilson ranking 15th and Fields ranking 26th (Lamar Jackson led the league at 8.8 yards per attempt).

If the Steelers ultimately choose Fields, it would mean trusting him enough to open up the passing game more with him next season. He's one of the most dynamic players in football when he breaks the pocket and runs, but his pocket presence and ability to diagnose defenses has been an issue in the past, leading to a lot of sacks (135 in three seasons with the Chicago Bears).