The Pittsburgh Steelers only traded for QB Justin Fields because Kenny Pickett wanted to leave. Nevertheless, they are happy to have him now that he is here. But that doesn’t automatically mean they are about to force him onto the field, Gerry Dulac told Rich Eisen. While Dulac doesn’t dismiss the idea of head coach Mike Tomlin putting Fields out there, he says it’s not in his character.
“It wouldn’t surprise me, but knowing Mike Tomlin, Mike Tomlin does not believe in taking his starting quarterback out of the game for special packages”, Dulac said of using Justin Fields in a special sub-package. “I’m not gonna sit here and say he won’t do it, but that has not been his style. I’m not expecting it. Now, maybe Arthur Smith could come up with a package or two here and there to utilize Justin Fields’ special skills. But I’m not gonna hold my breath, only because I know what Mike Tomlin typically believes”.
For the record, the Steelers did this, very briefly, for one game, in 2020. They had already secured the top seed, and they rotated in Joshua Dobbs for several plays with Mason Rudolph starting. Rudolph, unhappily, came off the field for these snaps, but they worked.
Another fact worth mentioning is the Chicago Bears used Justin Fields in a sort of specialist package during his rookie season before he moved into the starting lineup. Getting him on the field to make use of his unique athletic talents is an inherently intriguing idea.
And that uniqueness is precisely why a “non-gimmicky” head coach like Mike Tomlin might actually use a Justin Fields package. It’s not as though they have a settled quarterback position, either. He is willing to try things out when they are in dire straits. Tomlin even ran a Wildcat package with Jaylen Samuels after Ben Roethlisberger’s injury in 2019. They used it for a couple games—until he threw an interception.
Years earlier, the Steelers also used a Wildcat package for RB Le’Veon Bell, hoping to make use of his unique skills. Roethlisberger very begrudgingly complied, lining up “out wide” on those plays to keep him out of harm’s way. So what about a package with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson remaining on the field?
“Perhaps, but again, he is not much of a gimmicky guy, Mike Tomlin”, Dulac said. “I’m not gonna sit here and say that would be a first, but I’m trying to think of some other gimmick plays over the years. I’m not saying there haven’t been some, but they’re not jumping out at me right away. It’s just not something that he typically believes in doing”.
Of course, Tomlin had Connor Heyward throw a pass last year. In 2022, WR Chase Claypool threw a touchdown pass to FB Derek Watt. It’s not so far-fetched to imagine Justin Fields running around out there at some point this season. Actually, despite Mike Tannenbaum’s Tim Tebow-induced misgivings, I think it’s more likely than not to happen.
