Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields did not receive rave reviews based on his spring practice performances. The recently acquired veteran reportedly looked inaccurate and lacked ball placement, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. These are not new criticisms, but ones extending from his days with the Chicago Bears. For that matter, Fields was not “NFL accurate” in college, either, in terms of hitting windows. He threw for over a 70-percent completion rate his final year but was throwing to “college open” receivers.
Among the many not surprised by Fittipaldo’s report is LeSean McCoy, the former Pitt and Eagles running back. “Everybody can get better, but I just think that that’s who he is”, he said of Fields on the FS1 Speak program yesterday.
A former top-15 draft pick, Fields found himself available when the Bears earned the first-overall draft pick. Preparing to draft Caleb Williams, they committed to dealing their former “future franchise quarterback”. The problem is, they struggled to find palatable offers. The Steelers ultimately swooped in late and offered a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025.
That condition requires that Fields play at least half of the Steelers’ offensive snaps this season. If he cannot accurately throw passes, then there is a fairly good chance he doesn’t reach that threshold. In the event that he does, the sixth-round pick rises to a fourth-round pick.
Fields is playing behind Russell Wilson, and that doesn’t appear likely to change. While he has tremendous athleticism, many believe that he still lacks basic passing skills. Some, including McCoy, suggest that he needs an offense built for him to have a chance of succeeding.
“I don’t want you reading a lot. I don’t want you throwing the ball a lot”, McCoy said of Justin Fields. He suggested an offense like that run for Lamar Jackson in Baltimore or Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco. But he suggested that only as the most plausible scenario in which he can suggest.
“Let’s stop acting like we’re expecting this guy to go out there and just be this super great quarterback. That’s not in his future. That’s not his plan”, McCoy said. “You can’t tell me how bad he looked when he played here, played here, and then tell me on the other hand, like, ‘Yo, but he could potentially be really, really good’. That don’t even add up…He’s not a good quarterback”.
The Steelers only seriously explored a trade for Fields after Kenny Pickett requested a trade. Pickett took issue with the team’s direction after signing Wilson, prompting it to need a new backup. With Fields still sitting out there, they picked up the phone and worked out a deal.
But who actually got the deal? Pinpoint accuracy has never been Fields’ strength, and if it hasn’t become one yet, it isn’t going to in the future. Can he offer enough in other areas to compensate for his accuracy and issues reading defenses?
