The Pittsburgh Steelers swung a trade for quarterback Justin Fields this offseason, but it came after the team had already signed Russell Wilson. That has led many to question just what Fields' role will be in 2024, and new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith isn't dropping any hints.
When asked whether or not Pittsburgh would be deploying Fields in any unique packages, Smith said the team does not know yet.
“It’s too early,” Smith told Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official team website. “Both those guys, they’re playing quarterback. They’re out here competing. We know where we’re at in the part of the year- we’re playing football in shorts as we’re trying to improve, get to know everybody, and get the chemistry with everybody else in the offense. It’ll be a fun time in Latrobe watching those guys compete.”
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren said last month that Pittsburgh was considering utilizing Fields on special teams, but Fields and the Steelers shot that down.
Right now, Wilson is the favorite to win the starting quarterback job, and barring an injury or unforeseen circumstances, he will almost certainly be under center in Week 1. But if Wilson ends up struggling at some point this season, Fields is on deck.
Can Justin Fields save his career with the Steelers?
Here's the thing: the Steelers only signed Wilson for one year, so Fields could be in line to take over as the starter in 2025. But does Pittsburgh actually have plans on Fields becoming the quarterback of the future?
Fields, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was originally selected by the Chicago Bears with the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. He spent the first three years of his career with the Bears, going just 10-28 as a starter. He showed flashes throughout his tenure in the Windy City, but he didn't perform well on a consistent basis.
The 25-year-old enjoyed the best season of his career this past year, when he threw for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 61.4 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 86.3 over 13 starts (he missed four games due to a dislocated thumb). He also rushed for 657 yards and four scores.
Over the course of his time with the Bears, Fields accumulated 40 passing touchdowns and 30 picks.
The main appeal for Fields is that he is one of the most athletic signal-callers the league has ever seen. He racked up 1,134 rushing yards in 2022, so you can understand why many are wondering if the Steelers will invent special packages just for Fields. It could be a productive way to get him on the field in 2024.
There is no guarantee that Pittsburgh views Fields as its franchise quarterback moving forward. The Steelers may very well have just saw an opportunity to add a talented player for a cheap cost. But on that same token, there is also no sure thing that Wilson will remain under center for Pittsburgh throughout all of next season.
The Fields story is definitely an interesting one to monitor as we inch closer toward the start of the 2024 NFL campaign.
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