When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson and traded for Justin Fields, the expectation was that the younger player would spend time learning from the more veteran player. However, anyone who has studied leadership can tell you that lessons can come from the most unlikely sources. According to longtime Steelers leader Cameron Heyward, that's what's happening in Pittsburgh.
Heyward, the reigning 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, certainly knows good leadership when he sees it. The Steelers nominated him for the prestigious award six times, and he has been the defensive captain for 10 consecutive years. He has spent his entire career playing for Head Coach Mike Tomlin, widely considered one of the best leaders in the league.
He recently had Fields join him on his podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, to discuss his transition from backup to starter for the Steelers. Fields shared that even though he is starting for an injured Wilson, it doesn't mean he isn't learning. He knows how lucky he is to play with someone who's been as successful as Wilson and is soaking up all he can.
Heyward chided Fields for his modesty, sharing that he has seen him making an impact on the team. Fields said he isn't as vocal as Wilson; he tends to help players one-on-one. Heyward said it's something he hasn't seen since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
"I will say one thing with your leadership: I just saw the other day, we're in the middle of practice, we're doing like a third down period, and you pull Beanie Bishop over to the side," recounted Heyward. "You just explained to him what you were looking at and how he should try to hide his coverage a little bit more or his blitzing. I just thought that was very cool because not everybody gets to be loud, but sometimes it's more individual and I think that goes a long way."
Heyward's co-host Hayden Walsh asked if this is something that he's seen many quarterbacks do, especially in talking to the defensive backs. He said that Roethlisberger was good for the behind-the-scenes lessons for all players.
Quarterbacks are considered the de facto leader of the offense and the entire team, but not all quarterbacks are willing to spend time helping others. This could be especially true of a younger player like Fields, who is new to the team and just learning the system himself. Heyward also added that leadership and guidance can come from various places.
"There was a scout watching AB [Antonio Brown] the entire practice, and they were like, 'AB, every time you mess with your gloves, they know you're getting the ball.' He was like, 'I never thought of that.' We would talk to Ben so once he was under center when he would go like this (makes circle with hands), we could see his hands move and we knew we could jump the snap."
It appears that Fields will get his shot to help the Steelers reach 4-0 with the Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. He appears to be improving each week and has shown so far that Pittsburgh taking a chance on him was a wise decision.
Steelers' Justin Fields Showing Poise
Fields hasn't just been out supporting and coaching his teammates. He's also shown that he is unflappable. Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show bragged that Fields appears "absolutely 100% emotionless" in every situation.
Kaboly said that when you see him on the field, you can't tell if he is winning or losing a game. He has a singular focus on winning the game, focusing on one play at a time.
It appears that Fields is taking advantage of his new situation and learning from Wilson, Tomlin, and quarterbacks coach, Tom Arth. Fields has to be committed to proving that he is better than the player he appeared to be with the Chicago Bears.
