One of the most fascinating parts of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ OTAs is how quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will coexist. Both quarterbacks know they’re in a competition, not just to start but essentially for their careers. Fields has already made it clear that he’s not preparing to sit on the bench all year.
However, no one is approaching this competition with any animosity, at least outwardly. Justin Fields has previously talked about how he’s modeled his game after Wilson. And now in Pittsburgh, Fields has the opportunity to learn from him. Wilson is the most experienced and accomplished quarterback Fields has been around in the NFL, so it’s a new feeling.
“I get to learn stuff from him,” Fields said after the first OTA, per ESPN NFL Live. “The things that he’s accomplished up to this point in his career has been great. So me learning just the little details, how he’s so meticulous and detailed within every rep, every individual drill, just kind of makes me think that’s what I should be doing each and every time.”
There was certainly a lot of talk recently about how Fields was as a teammate in Chicago, specifically with the veteran quarterbacks when he was drafted. Whether those comments were true or not doesn’t matter.
What does matter is that Justin Fields has noticed Wilson’s meticulous approach to practicing and identifies it as the way he should be approaching practice. Fields said on Tuesday that he hasn’t reached his potential yet. Approaching each and every practice rep with an eye for detail could help get him closer to his potential.
Because there is no question that Fields has a ton of athletic ability. He can be dynamic with the ball in his hands on the ground and has the arm to threaten all parts of the field. He just hasn’t put it all together yet.
Whether Justin Fields can do that in Pittsburgh remains to be seen. He does seem to be turning a keen eye on his competition and learning from Russell Wilson already.
