When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for quarterback Justin Fields, they had already signed Russell Wilson. This sparked debate over which quarterback was the better fit to start. The Steelers initially named Wilson their starter, but a calf injury has sidelined him for the entire regular season so far.
In Wilson’s absence, Fields has stepped up impressively, leading the Steelers to a 3-0 record while completing 73.7% of his passes and making sharp decisions to help secure victories. It's the first time in his NFL career that he’s started this hot, earning praise from numerous analysts for his strong performance.
Many pundits are now backing Fields as the future of the Steelers, believing his recent play could cement his place in the Steel City. However, not everyone is convinced. Former NFL running back and current analyst LeSean McCoy has been critical, calling Fields’ performance overhyped and expressing his doubts about the quarterback's long-term potential.
"We keep talking about Justin Fields as if he's like carrying his team, a game-changer," McCoy said. "We talk about him more than we talk about Josh Allen carrying a team and then we really break down the team and really watch the tape and look at the stats. Any quarterback in America can do that. Daniel Jones, as bad as I think he is, I think he will be a winning quarterback in this system and then we can keep going, right?"
McCoy didn’t shy away from his critique of Fields, suggesting that Pittsburgh’s success has come despite Fields, not because of him.
He believes that even most struggling quarterbacks would thrive with the Steelers in 2024, implying that the team’s 3-0 start is more a result of its overall strength than Fields’ individual performance.
"I will say this though. If you could put a quarterback that's been struggling like a Justin Fields in his whole career, you put him with the Steelers and they run the ball, they play great defense, I mean, any quarterback can win in this system," McCoy added. "So when you talking about like, do we believe in him? I can't believe in that because we're talking about a defense that are getting turnovers, they getting great field position and you still only put, you never even put up 20 points yet... So no, I do not believe in Justin Fields, but I do think in this system you can succeed in."
McCoy’s takes on TV haven’t always been the hottest, but he’s certainly trying to be provocative. He also claimed that Fields hasn’t led his team to 20 points yet, which is inaccurate—Pittsburgh beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-10.
While Fields hasn’t played at an MVP level, he’s done exactly what offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has asked of him. The Steelers haven’t needed or wanted him to throw excessively, but when called upon, Fields has delivered, making pinpoint throws at critical moments in these games.
Steelers' Justin Fields Has Played Well Through 3 Games
So far, Fields has completed 73.3% of his passes for 518 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He’s also shown how dangerous he can be as a runner, logging 28 carries for 90 rushing yards and one touchdown. Though he’s not averaging big yards per carry, his decision-making has been solid, knowing when to stay in the pocket and when to take off.
Fields himself admitted he needs to get his legs going even more, so Steelers fans can expect him to continue threatening defenses with his rushing ability. While McCoy isn’t buying into Fields just yet, many other analysts are. Fields has shifted the narrative around him in the first three games and will aim to keep that momentum going in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts.
