Justin Fields had a golden opportunity to become the permanent starter of the Pittsburgh Steelers after quarterback Russell Wilson went down with a calf injury that lasted through Week 6 of the NFL season.
While Fields managed the game and made some spectacular plays with his legs as expected, the fourth-year veteran only threw five TDs in those six starts, with two three-point losses (20-17 to Dallas on Oct. 6 and 27-24 to the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 29) serving as a glaring reminder that Fields has not made head coach Mike Tomlin a believer.
Reports say that there’s a strong probability that Wilson will probably get the nod on Sunday against the New York Jets. Some former NFL players suggested on one popular morning show that Fields has already been informed of the switch.
Justin Fields Admits He Hasn’t Been Good Enough To Keep Starting Job
Many Russell Wilson haters and analysts have implored Tomlin to let Fields cook. He does have a passing game of over 300 yards this season, and despite his low passing totals of 1,106 yards, he’s only thrown one pick.
With Wilson reportedly in strong contention to start on Sunday, his debut becomes one marred in controversy, but the franchise won’t get any gripe from Fields, who admits he didn’t get the job done enough to emphatically take it from a Super Bowl player who was only sidelined due to injury.
“If I’m being real with myself, If I did play well enough, I don’t think there would be any sort of (question), who should be playing and who shouldn’t,” Fields was quoted as saying this week.
FS1 Taking Heads Laud Justin Fields’ Honesty
The panel on FS1’s morning show “The Facility” lauded Fields for his honesty and professionalism. He’s probably playing better than he has in his entire career, and he’s not costing the team games in a way that would be obvious.
“When a guy stands up in front of the media in that locker and gives you complete honesty you got to love it in the locker room. Those 52 guys are looking at a quarterback with leadership. You want to talk about accountability,” said longtime NFL QB Chase Daniels.
He also referenced how Fields’ courageous statement would gain him further respect from star wide receiver George Pickens who has expressed his displeasure with the passing attack and how he’s being utilized, at one point sending a message through his eye black that drew the ire of the league. It also sent a direct message that he is not happy with his current QB1.
This also probably played into Tomlin’s decision, although players don’t make decisions on his watch, and he’s made that very clear in the past.
Eventually, however, common sense will prevail. As far as this moment enhancing Fields’ stature as a leader in the locker room, panelist James Jones said Fields’ honesty didn’t help his cause, it just solidified his status as a backup.
James Jones Says Justin Fields Sounds Like A Backup
“Respect, but you know what that sounds like?” the former wide receiver asked Shady McCoy, Emmanuel Ocho and the other panelists. “The backup quarterback.”
Tomlin clearly wants to see what he has in Wilson, who despite the backlash about his demise in Denver threw 26 TDs and eight picks last season. He’s proven that he can get the ball in the end zone. While the Steelers aren’t a perfectly constructed team offensively, they do have some weapons and are among the league’s most talented and best coached from top to bottom.
With some upgraded passing, the NFL’s 26th-ranked offense could open up a bit more and alleviate the pressure on a defense that is ranked eighth overall in football.
The Steelers also rank 28 out of 32 teams in passing yards per game with just 166.8. So all of the people kicking and screaming about Fields really have nothing to stand on. Tomlin wants to be able to run the ball effectively, therefore he needs a quarterback who can push the ball down the field and at least threaten the defense to respect you through the air.
Wilson might have been the difference in those two three-point losses, and the Steelers could be 6-0 and the talk of football. Tomlin was told by his employers that they respect his record streak of 17 straight non-losing seasons to start a career, but the championship well has run dry, and Tomlin needs to at least advance to the AFC Championship Game this season.
