Former Baltimore Ravens LB Bart Scott did something that no Ravens player wants to do. On Tuesday’s episode of Get Up on ESPN, Scott confessed that he loves Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
“I love that guy, man,” Scott said. “Listen man, I know he the ops, I’m not supposed to like him because he’s a Steeler and I’m a Raven. But man, I tell you, I would love to go play for a guy like that.”
So what inspired Scott to profess his forbidden love of a Steeler live on ESPN? It had to do with Tomlin’s comments about QB Justin Fields during the NFL’s owners meetings. Scott came away impressed with Tomlin making what he sees as the perfect situation for Fields.
“I think he’s done a great job in creating a situation where Justin Fields I believe can flourish, right?” Scott said. “Because he comes in with no expectations, which is gonna make him hungry. He understands that he’s playing for his career. You have an opportunity to sit him behind a veteran who can handle all the pressure.”
When the Chicago Bears drafted Fields 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, they likely intended for him to sit behind veteran QB Andy Dalton. Unfortunately for Dalton (and perhaps Fields’ development), he sustained a knee injury during the second game of the 2021 season. Fields ended up seeing the field for 84 percent of the Bears’ offensive snaps during his rookie season.
It was not a pretty season by any standard. Fields only completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 1,870 yards and seven touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Fields certainly has improved since his rookie season, but his time in Chicago did not go the way anyone anticipated or desired.
Now Fields has a chance to reset his career as Scott noted. He has a veteran quarterback in front of him again in Russell Wilson. He has a head coach in Tomlin who is excited to work with him and believes in him.
Fields also does not have the same burden of expectations that he did at the beginning of his career. Do fans hope that Fields can become the franchise quarterback in Pittsburgh? Most certainly. Do they expect him to do so in the same way Bears fans did when Chicago drafted him just outside of the top 10 in 2021? Not really, no.
Whether Fields is ultimately successful is uncertain. What is certain is that Scott, a former Raven who played against Tomlin-coached teams, actually loves the Steelers coach and what he’s done to give Fields a quality opportunity in Pittsburgh. Between Scott and former Ravens LB Patrick Queen signing with the Steelers in free agency, could the rivalry be losing some of its shine?
No.
You can watch the entire Get Up discussion about the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh below:
