The Pittsburgh Steelers made a lot of moves during the 2024 offseason, which included bringing in both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Many believed Wilson would be the starting quarterback due to his pedigree and experience, and that proved true after Head Coach Mike Tomlin announced he had won the quarterback competition following preseason. This was a controversial decision, especially since Wilson missed so much of camp due to a calf injury. Wilson would end of re-aggravating that injury, which led to Fields beginning the regular season as the starter.
The news of Wilson's injury popping up again happened shortly before Pittsburgh's Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons. Fields played well in his absence, and Wilson wasn't healthy enough to go against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 either. Fields has strung together efficient performances and led the Steelers to a 2-0 record, and will likely start again in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Former 2x Steelers Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger spoke about Wilson missing the game against Denver on his podcast Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, while endorsing Fields as the starter in Pittsburgh.
"So far, I like what I've seen, I like that he's [Fields] getting into it, I like that he's getting the feel of it. If you told me they were 1-1 or 0-2 and this is going on, I'd think they'd have to do something, but again, he's not turning the ball over, they're 2-0. Big test this week with, I think the Chargers are coming to town. To me, if Russ is healthy, I'm sticking with Justin."
Fields hasn't done anything spectacular in Pittsburgh, but he has done exactly what the team needs him to do in order to win. In addition to just being efficient and careful with where he throws the ball, the sky is the limit with Fields at the helm when his athleticism is taken into consideration. He is a serious threat to run that any defense has to respect, which is nothing but beneficial.
Fields has had an up and down career up until this point. He finished the 2022 season in the top 10 for MVP voting, and has shown sky-high potential. If Pittsburgh's Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith fully buys into Fields and can sculpt a good offensive scheme around him, the fourth-year quarterback has a real chance to revive his career with the Steelers. Roethlisberger doubled down on his opinion of Fields, and insists he should be the starter.
"What I saw today - I think that he has earned and deserves the right to stay there."
The young quarterback didn't do anything too electrifying through the air in the win in Denver, as he threw for just 117 yards. However, he showed he can be careful with the football and escaped pressure to turn negative plays into positive ones. Wilson's mobility is limited, so this is something he can't do as well as he once did earlier in his career. Fields also had a terrific day when you consider all the plays that were wiped off the board due to penalties. He had a beautiful 51-yard completion to George Pickens that got called back thanks to a holding call.
Steelers' Justin Fields Is Playing The Best He Has In His Career
The numbers may not seem like it, but Fields is putting together some of the best starts of his career. Throughout his time with the Chicago Bears, he was known for negative plays. These included sacks and turnovers. In Pittsburgh, he has no turnovers and has been sacked just four times for minimal losses.
Fields has put up the best passer rating of his career, but he is also throwing the ball a lot less. Once he is solidified as the starting quarterback, maybe his trust with Smith will grow, which can lead to more production offensively.
