Justin Fields, unfortunately, will not be doing any Dante Hall impressions next season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback spoke with reporters on Tuesday and threw cold water on the rumor that he would be returning kicks for the team in 2024. A Steelers teammate had previously implied that Pittsburgh special teams coordinator Danny Smith was interested in using the newly-acquired Fields as a returner.
“Nah, I think everybody kind of interpreted it wrong,” said Fields, according to Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Coach Danny was basically just trying to send a message that no matter who you are, you could be on special teams. He just used that as an example.
“It’s funny how serious social media takes everything,” Fields continued. “It was kind of funny to me when everybody was making a big deal about it for no reason.”
The idea of Fields as a kick returner never really made much sense, despite his speed and agility. Fields plays at the most valuable position on the field, and no team will unnecessarily parade a quarterback into the line of fire like that (unless the QB is fully committed to a Taysom Hill-esque role change).
Even if Fields will likely open the year as the Steelers’ QB2 behind fellow newcomer Russell Wilson, he is still a full-time quarterback for the team. Fields also recently warned that he was coming for Wilson’s starting job.
