The Pittsburgh Steelers revamped their quarterback room this offseason, and part of that overhaul was swinging a trade with the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields.
Fields will be entering the season as the No. 2 signal-caller on the Steelers’ depth chart, as the Steelers also signed Russell Wilson in free agency.
However, Fields has made it clear that his mission is to ultimately beat out Wilson for the starting job, and he seems excited about his new system in Pittsburgh.
Fields was specifically asked about offensive coordinator Arthur Smith wanting to make the Steelers a very physical ballclub, and he has bought into that philosophy.
Can Justin Fields Break Through With The Steelers?
Fields was originally selected by the Bears with the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Ohio State product spent the first three years of his career in Chicago, but was never able to establish himself as the team’s franchise quarterback.
Fields went just 10-28 as a starter with the Bears, and while he showed flashes of brilliance, he wasn’t able to put together a consistent stretch of impressive football.
He had the best year of his career to date in 2023, 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. He also rushed for 657 yards and four scores.
It should be noted that the 25-year-old achieved those numbers over 13 starts, as Fields missed four games due to a dislocated thumb.
The Bears sent Fields packing when it became clear they were going to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Fields definitely has an opportunity in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers only signed Wilson to a one-year deal, so Fields could take over as the full-time starter in 2025.
Of course, there is also a chance that Fields could ultimately usurp Wilson as the starting quarterback this coming season if Wilson falters. Given that Wilson is 35 years old and didn’t exactly have a great two-year run with the Denver Broncos, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Fields certainly seems motivated to prove himself with the Steelers, but it’s just a matter of getting out on the field and actually doing it.
We’ll see if the change of scenery does Justin Fields any good in 2024.
