Through the first three days at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, fourth-year quarterback Justin Fields has been the talk of training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With veteran Russell Wilson sidelined due to a calf injury suffered during the conditioning test, Fields has taken advantage of the QB1 reps under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Fields has had some eye-opening plays, but he’s had some struggles as well, summarizing his career to date at this point: some flash, a lot of fizzle, leaving many to be tantalized with his skill set and traits.
For NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo, who is at Steelers training camp as part of the Back Together Weekend around the NFL, he says that the general sense he gets is that players and coaches believe Fields is getting better each and every day.
“But I did mention Justin Fields and my understanding is players and coaches around here feel like he’s continuing to improve, and taking the opportunity to get those reps that Russell Wilson isn’t taking away from him,” Garafolo said, according to video via his Twitter profile. “And I keep saying this: once we get to the preseason, we know what Justin Fields can do in a game, even if it’s not with his arm, it’s with his legs. It’s some sensational plays.
“And that could make this thing really interesting depending on how long it takes Russell Wilson to get back into action.”
With Wilson on the shelf, Fields has been soaking up all the QB1 reps.
While head coach Mike Tomlin stated on Wednesday after the Steelers reported to training camp that nothing had changed at the quarterback position with Wilson in the pole position and the team balancing reps for Fields very carefully, Wilson’s calf injury has shaken things up.
In a new environment with stable, experienced coaches, Fields is looking to get back on track. To his credit, he’s taken advantage of the reps. He should be getting better daily, too, as he gets more comfortable within the scheme, with the coaching staff and with the teammates around him.
It’s not as if he’s a rookie; he’s an experienced starter with 38 career starts. It’s not his first lap around the track, nor is it his first training camp.
But it is good to hear that a young talent with so much potential like Fields is improving each and every day and that teammates and coaches are noticing it. If it continues, and Wilson continues to miss time, it could really open up the QB situation into a true competition, which isn’t something many thought could happen leading into Latrobe.
“But the longer it goes and the more reps that Justin Fields gets, the more that I think that this one is actually an open competition. And look, to be fair, Mike Tomlin never said that it was closed. All he said was that Russell Wilson was in the pole position,” Garafolo added in a segment on NFL Network. “And remember, they are getting him for as low a rate as you could possibly get him that veteran minimum deal because the Broncos are picking up the tab on the rest. So it’s not like they’re financially committed to keeping Russell Wilson in there. They’re not committed to Justin Fields financially for a huge number either.
“So, you know, this one’s open and, and MJD [Maurice Jones-Drew] as I say, when we get to the preseason and Justin Fields starts doing Justin Fields things, it might get even more open and maybe somebody else is in the pole position.”
This will be a fascinating situation to see how it plays out. Right now, Fields is taking in all the reps and seizing upon the opportunity as the QB1, even with Wilson getting mental reps and itching to get back into the fold.
Fields has flashed some but has also shown plenty that he needs to clean up. But he’s taking to Arthur Smith’s offense well and has a leg up from a sharpness standpoint on Wilson. We’ll see if that continues throughout camp and potentially starts to change some minds for decision makers within the building.
