As Russell Wilson gains ground on his injury recovery, Justin Fields is getting good reviews from opponents. It’s a big battle for the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback job. And an NFL Insider shared encouraging Justin Fields news on keeping the position even when Wilson returns.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer made the comments on The Rich Eisen Show. He said the Steelers like what they have in Fields.
“They love Justin Fields personally, I can tell you that,” Breer said. “They really like coaching him, they really like working with him. I think you conversed with Justin some too, right Rich, he is a Steeler. I know that sounds weird for a guy who’s been there for six months. But he really has the makeup and demeanor of a Pittsburgh Steeler. So he’s fit in really well.”
Steelers QB Justin Fields trying to up his performances
Breer said it’s not just about being liked. And Fields has his typically low QBR of 41.8 through two games. However, his completions are up with a percentage of 69.8. Still, he has just one touchdown pass and 273 total air yards.
“Has he played at an A+ level, no,” Breer said. “Arthur Smith worked with Ryan Tannehill and basically resurrected Ryan Tannehill’s career in Tennessee. I think they feel, and Arthur and his staff feel, like they could even do more with Justin Fields than they did with Ryan Tannehill. And they got to an AFC Championship game with Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee.”
The injury to Wilson came at the perfect time for Fields, who was slated to begin the year as his backup. But Fields stepped in and guided the Steelers to back-to-back wins.
“The more chances Justin gets to improve week over week, the stronger the case becomes to leave him in there,” Breer said. “And I think there are some limitations to Russell Wilson’s game at this stage that Justin Fields doesn’t have.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Fields has helped his own clause by competing and learning, according to nbcsports.com.
“He loves to compete,” Tomlin said. “He’s got a quiet confidence about him. He doesn’t change in environments. There’s a clarity in his communication, in his response to communications. That’s really comfortable.”
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What are some of the down sides for Fields?
Of course, Fields’ completion percentage comes with taking fewer chances. Only 12 of his passes have gone beyond the sticks.
“That’s not only reflective of his capabilities and mindset, that’s probably reflective of our mindset as a collective,” Tomlin said. “We want to be aggressive in terms of going downfield, but we also want to be prudent because incomplete passes and things of that nature get you behind the sticks. We’ve been in hostile environments through two weeks that we wanted to minimize.”
One thing to remember about Wilson is he signed for a minimum contract. The Steelers could let him go at any point. So if the Steelers keep winning with Fields under center, the future may not be in Pittsburgh for Wilson.
