For the first time since being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, QB Justin Fields spoke to the local media after the first of 10 voluntary OTA sessions with the whole team. He is now in a quarterback room with Russell Wilson, who was acquired just days before Fields was traded to the team. With Wilson’s pedigree as a Super Bowl champion, Fields is opening up the offseason as the QB2, but he told reporters today that he has every intention of competing for the starting job.
Looking at their stats side-by-side, Wilson has the edge. Even after a couple down years with the Denver Broncos, Wilson has about 35 percent more passing yards over the last two seasons than Fields. But Fields has the benefit of youth. He started three seasons, but it was with the Chicago Bears, who haven’t exactly been the model of success over that time. Fields told the media on Tuesday that he has plenty of room to get better. He was asked if he is a player that is still ascending.
“Oh, I know I am,” Fields said in a video posted by The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo on X. “I’m not the same quarterback as I was last year, and I’m not the same quarterback as I even was yesterday, so I’m going to continue to get better each and every day.
“Especially with the help of Tom [Arth], our quarterback coach, he’s smart, and Matt Baker – he’s super smart too. And Russ [Wilson], like I said, just learning from all three of those guys and having them by my side and having them get me better…I think I have a lot more room to grow. I’m nowhere near my ceiling.”
Justin Fields: “I’m nowhere near my ceiling.” pic.twitter.com/RTs3PzLhar
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) May 21, 2024
Looking at his passing stats, he has not shown any signs of regression over his first three years. There have been steady improvements as a passer. His completion percentage climbed from 58.9 percent in his rookie season to 61.4 percent last year. His passing yards increased steadily from 1,870 to 2,562, and his touchdown-to-interception ratio came in at a career best last season at 16:9.
Fields is nine months younger than Kenny Pickett, to put things into perspective. He may three seasons of starting experience, but it was in a difficult situation without the best supporting cast. He now enters an offense that has a beefed-up offensive line, a solid two-headed backfield, and some solid weapons at tight end and wide receiver.
We should get plenty of looks at Justin Fields over the next nine OTA sessions leading into mandatory minicamp. This is Fields’ first opportunity to compete, and if what he said is true about his ceiling then Russell Wilson will have his hands full fending off the young quarterback.
