The Pittsburgh Steelers made significant moves at quarterback this offseason, bringing in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields—decisions that felt uncharacteristic for the franchise. So far, those choices have yielded positive results. Wilson was named the starter, but a calf injury has sidelined him for the entire start of the season. Meanwhile, Fields has taken the reins, leading the team to a 3-1 record through the first four games.
There’s been considerable speculation about whether Wilson will reclaim the starting job once he is fully healthy, or if Head Coach Mike Tomlin will opt to stick with the in-form Fields. This storyline will be fascinating to follow, and while Fields remains the starter, there are key indicators that Steeler Nation can observe to gauge the coaching staff’s level of trust in him.
On Thursday, Fields addressed the media, and a clip shared on social media by Steelers insider Mike DeFabo revealed a surprising revelation: Fields implied that he is not permitted to call audibles during games.
"It just depends on the play call but yeah if we have a run play call then we are going to stick with that play call. One thing I’m not gonna do, you know our offense doesn’t roll like that. I put my full trust in Arthur to get us in the right place at the right time."
Fields elaborated on the limited freedom he has within the offense, expressing his complete trust in Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith to call the right run plays.
He emphasized that he wouldn’t deviate from a run play if Smith designated it.
"There are some plays where I can check into a different play verse a different coverage or a certain look but most of our run plays there’s some cans on it depending on what look we get."
Steelers fans may not be thrilled to learn that Fields lacks the coaches' approval to audible out of plays. Many believe he deserves that level of freedom, and the coaching staff's reluctance to grant it speaks volumes about their current feelings toward him. Despite this, Fields has played respectably and is enjoying a productive season.
Steelers' Justin Fields Has Played Very Well So Far In 2024
Few expected Fields to take on the starting role, yet he has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the league after four weeks. He has proven to be a dual threat, rushing for three touchdowns while completing 70.6% of his passes, totaling three passing touchdowns and 830 passing yards.
As his performance continues to impress, some fans are starting to believe that Fields has earned the right to remain the starter, even when Wilson is fully healthy.
However, it's noteworthy that Fields doesn’t have significant freedom at this point in the season. This limitation may help explain why some of the called run plays have struggled; he cannot audible out of poor looks or is constrained in doing so. Steelers fans will hope that as Fields progresses, he is granted more freedom at the line of scrimmage.
