Count ESPN analyst Louis Riddick as someone who loves the idea of QB Justin Fields coming to Pittsburgh. Though the odds of it occurring are not proportional to the media chatter about it, Riddick thinks the fit would be perfect. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up Wednesday, he said Fields would thrive in new OC Arthur Smith’s system.
“Think of the effect Arthur Smith had on Ryan Tannehill,” Riddick said. “…the play-action game with Justin under center on first and second down, with the dynamic duo they have at the running back position right there with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. It is perfect. It’s absolutely perfect. With the weapons of Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth, are you kidding me?”
A first-round bust with the Miami Dolphins, Tannehill enjoyed the two best years of his career under Smith. The Titans’ offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020, Tannehill threw 55 touchdowns over that span and was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2019 despite only starting 12 games.
Since Smith left to become the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach, Tannehill has regressed. And it’s led many to speculate that if the Steelers don’t acquire Fields, they’ll target a Tannehill and Smith reunion.
In principle, Smith likes his offenses to run under center and use a heavy dose of play-action. His approach is flexible, and his Falcons’ teams were more shotgun-based, though his play-action rate remained high. For years, Pittsburgh has had among the NFL’s lowest play-action rates. First thought to be a Ben Roethlisberger-issue, given his desire to not be under center, the rates haven’t changed much in the two seasons since he’s retired.
Under Smith, more play-action will result in more middle-of-the-field throws, another element of the offense that’s been missing. And Smith’s offenses work well with a mobile quarterback in the designed run game, something he utilized with Marcus Mariota in 2022 with the Falcons.
Trading for Fields would close the book on Kenny Pickett starting. But it’s a decision Riddick would be tempted to make.
“I don’t ever want to put anybody in front of my boy Kenny Pickett,” Riddick said. “Kenny’s my guy. He’s my guy. But Justin Fields is one of those dudes where I’m like, might have to put him in front of you, Kenny. Might have to go ahead and work with this. Because Justin, in that offense, it would work.”
Maybe it would work. The question is are the Steelers willing to try? Based on public comments from Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II, they’re not interested in making that big of a splash. But until Fields has found his new home, there will be plenty of chatter linking him to the Steelers.
