Justin Fields could have wound up somewhere other than with the Pittsburgh Steelers if he wanted to. While the Chicago Bears committed to trading him, he signed off on Pittsburgh as a preferred destination. So when the opportunity arose to consummate that trade, all parties involved pulled the trigger with a sense of satisfaction.
And it’s already a new experience for Fields, the fourth-year quarterback out of Ohio State. While his track record leaves him with many skeptics, others believe being in a better environment will help him thrive. If that is the case, then he seems to feel he is in the right place.
“Me being in two different places now, I realize you don’t get this culture everywhere”, Fields told reporters yesterday, via the team’s website. “I think Chicago, they’re kind of changing the narrative now, but this has been the culture here for so many years. You can see it, just the way that we attack each and every day. Coach [Mike Tomlin], he stays on us about it, so I think just having that, reiterating that each and every day, that keeps guys on their toes. Guys are ready to compete each and every day”.
Fields played under two different head coaches with the Bears. Drafted by Matt Nagy, the Bears then passed him on to Matt Eberflus over the past two years. But with the Bears holding the first-overall pick, they opted to draft QB Caleb Williams. Rather than keep Fields and risk a divided locker room, they committed to trading him.
But the Bears also wanted to make sure that they left Fields in a good position. Reportedly, they passed on a more lucrative trade proposal in order to send him to Pittsburgh. Whether right or wrong, the Steelers have one of the strongest reputations in the NFL.
Much of that reputation has to do with Tomlin, who has already made a strong impression on Fields. I’m not sure he trusts Tomlin about having a shot to compete for the starting job, but it’s not like he was going to compete with Williams in Chicago, either.
After trading for him, the Steelers did turn down Fields’ fifth-year option. Some reporters believe they hope to work out an extension before the start of the season, however. While they want to see what they have in him, they also don’t want him hitting free agency next year.
Having the longest-tenured head coach in the league helps the Steelers project that air of stability. They have had a consistent message for close to two decades now under Tomlin. What Justin Fields is hearing is probably not far from what Ben Roethlisberger heard so many years ago.
As for Fields favorably comparing the Steelers to his former team, well, that was hard to avoid. Players routinely speak highly of their new teams, and he has only been in one other place. Still, I feel his comment was pretty strong in the highlighting the culture in Pittsburgh over Chicago. Though it’s not like Steelers players have never been glad, at least in part, to leave.
