Justin Fields will not be returning kicks for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year—unless you’re playing Madden. If you’re reading this, then you probably saw or read about the new Madden trailer. It opened with a clip of Fields returning a kick, something that apparently unintentionally became a storyline early on.
Fields laughed it off when reporters eventually had the opportunity to ask him about it, confirming he is still a quarterback. But after three years as a starter and on the short end of a quarterback “competition”, he can’t feel too happy to see that, one Chicago podcast host believes.
The group was discussing the former Bears quarterback returning a kick in the Madden trailer on the CHGO Bears podcast. They watched Fields for the past three years and have some idea of what kind of person he is. But it’s really not that complex—there is basic human nature involved as well.
“I said it when the article came out that their special teams coach suggested that they might have him on kickoffs, and it turned into this story. Now they put it on Madden”, Greg Braggs Jr. said of the Fields kick return discussion. “I genuinely feel bad for Justin Fields. Because I highly doubt that he wants this narrative out there, and that conversation about him out there. And now you’ve got Madden pushing it. It’s a slap in the face to a guy that I’m sure has much higher goals for himself in this league”.
Fields very much has higher goals for himself in this league, not just in the future but now. “I’m definitely competing. I think Russ knows that we’re competing against each other every day”, he said last month. “I definitely don’t have the mindset of me just sitting all year, so I’m coming in every day giving it all I got”.
Justin Fields is a 38-game starter since the Bears drafted him 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has thrown for 6,674 yards and rushed for another 2,220, throwing 40 touchdowns and running for 14. While his starting record is abysmal, many believe he was trapped in a bad situation in the Windy City.
I’m sure if the Steelers really asked him, Fields would be a team player and give it a go. He has undeniable athleticism that would make him potentially deadly in the open field. But nobody who believes he is a starting quarterback also believes he should be returning kicks.
And let’s be honest here. Teams don’t even risk their backup quarterbacks as holders for field goals anymore. They’re not going to let even their backup quarterback return kicks and be in position to take a tackle. Even as a backup, Fields is too valuable for that job, one snap away from playing, even starting.
And that’s assuming that he doesn’t start at some point in his own right. Even if Russell Wilson is the starter at the beginning of the year, that can change if he struggles. Suddenly the door opens for Justin Fields—and you have to find a new return man.
