Tag: Starterturnedbackup

Justin Fields went from starting the first six games of the season at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers to playing sparingly in the final 10, in a role more reduced than even he expected.

The hardest thing for Fields, however, was sitting out the past two games with a lower abdominal injury that occurred when he absorbed a hit from Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship on a slide at the end of an 8-yard run midway through the second quarter in Week 15.

“I probably could’ve run in that game 75% but I couldn’t even toss the ball 5 yards without feeling pain,” said Fields, who blamed his inactivity as much as Blankenship’s unnecessary roughness penalty. “It’s hard. I think it’s easier early in the season to stay warm, keep your body warm. Of course, any chance you get you want to go out and help the team, but you’ve got to learn and be smart about what we’re going to do.”

While Fields declared himself healthy for the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, he also weighs the risks and rewards of playing in special packages where everyone knows the play is designed for the 6-foot-3, 227-pound dual-threat quarterback to run.

Yet Fields expressed no reservations about his desire to return to the Steelers next season, hopefully in a more prominent role.

“I want to be here,” Fields told TribLive. “I’m kind of tired of learning a new offense every year. This will be my third in four years. Of course I’d love to be back, but that’s all up to God at the end of the day. I’ll be where God wants me to be.”

After being selected 11th overall by the Chicago Bears in 2021, Fields had a 10-28 record in three seasons as their starter before being traded to the Steelers for a conditional 2025 draft pick (likely a sixth-rounder, given that he’s played in fewer than 51% of the snaps this season).

Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 record through the first six games, completing 106 of 161 pass attempts (65.8%) for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns with one interception and rushing for 289 yards and five touchdowns on 62 carries.

Statistically, his best game came at Indianapolis, when Fields completed 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown and ran for 55 yards and two scores but also lost a fumble, was stopped short on a fourth-and-1 keeper and botched a snap for a 12-yard loss on the final drive of the 27-24 loss. Fields shined in a 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, going 25 of 32 for 245 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another.

When Russell Wilson returned from a calf injury and supplanted him as the starter in Week 7, Fields watched all six of his starts again and took copious notes analyzing what he did well and where he needed improvement. He asked Wilson and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin for feedback but found that studying his self-scout was most beneficial.

“That’s where it’s weighed a little bit differently, always watching yourself and trying to critique yourself,” Fields said. “You’ve got to be your biggest critic, when it comes to how well you can you play.”

Once Wilson took over, the Steelers promised to use Fields in special packages but he appeared briefly in four games. He had two carries for 17 yards against the Baltimore Ravens, including an ill-advised slide 1 yard short of the first-down sticks; rushed three times for 26 yards and threw an incomplete pass at the Cleveland Browns; a 7-yard run to clinch a win at the Bengals; and the ill-fated 8-yard run at Philly.

“Watching from the sideline, I think I learned a lot in that time,” Fields said. “It changes your perspective. Of course, I’d like to be out there on the field, but I think I’ll look back on this year one day and it’ll all be because of a reason. I’m just trying to take it day by day, learn and get better.”

That’s a sign of growth for Fields, who looked like a budding star in his second NFL season. He completed 60.5% of his passes and threw 17 touchdowns against 11 interceptions but rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns — averaging 7.1 yards per carry — and came within 63 yards of Lamar Jackson’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback.

But Fields’ running worked against him, as well. He was sacked a league-high 55 times in 2022, and his rushing totals dipped in 2023. Fields ran for 657 yards, four touchdowns and a 5.1-yard average as opponents designed their defenses to stop him on the run.

“Of course there’s the running aspect, but you want to be a threat with your arm and on the ground,” Fields said. “There’s always room to get better.”

That’s where serving as the backup to Wilson has been valuable to Fields, as he’s been able to watch and learn from the 13-year veteran and nine-time Pro Bowl pick in practices and games.

“Russ has been great,” Fields said. “Of course, his job is not to mentor me. But anytime I have a question for him, anytime I ask a question he gives me his thoughts on that. I’m always picking his brain on different things.”

Wilson has been complimentary of Fields, even though they have competed for playing time this season and a contract next season.

“He’s a great player, a guy who works his butt off every day,” Wilson said of Fields. “He’s got a bright future ahead of him. He’s done a really good job of continuing to stay focused on growing every day.”

That’s how the 25-year-old Fields describes his season with the Steelers.

“It was for sure a season of growth, in every way,” Fields said. “You name it: Developing footwork, getting smarter, learning different defenses, different schematics and stuff like that — Coach T’s helping me a lot with that. I definitely got better from last year.”

But Fields believes he hasn’t really shown what he can do for the Steelers — or in the NFL — as a starting quarterback.

“The best is not close,” Fields said. “It’s not even … no, we haven’t seen the best.”