When the Pittsburgh Steelers took to the field at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., on Thursday for the first training camp practice, QB Justin Fields led the offense. No, it wasn’t a last-minute bait-and-switch by head coach Mike Tomlin. Russell Wilson simply woke up with a tight calf and the Steelers held him out as a precaution.
So once Wilson is fully fit, we can expect him to get the lion’s share of the first-team reps. That doesn’t mean Fields won’t be doing everything he can to take advantage of his opportunities. He’ll need to if he wants a chance to earn starts in 2024.
“The more Justin Fields plays, the more reps he gets with the starters, the more Arthur Smith sees him in his offense, the more it will feel like a quarterback competition,” Mina Kimes said on ESPN NFL Live Thursday. “Because there will be opportunities for Fields to prove not only that he has command of the offense but also that he is an improving quarterback.”
After the Steelers acquired both Wilson and Fields, Tomlin stated that Wilson would be in the “pole position” for starting quarterback. That means Fields is essentially playing from behind if there is even a genuine quarterback competition.
Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo doesn’t think there will be a genuine competition. He expects that it’s Wilson’s job and there really isn’t anything that Fields can do about it. However, if Wilson misses more time during training camp, Fields will have bigger opportunities based on snaps alone.
And if Fields does, hitting throws like this one certainly won’t hurt his cause.
Justin Fields deep to Van Jefferson on first day of 2024 camp, via @Mazursky8895 #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/VJgYzSR12b
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) July 25, 2024
Fields isn’t behind Wilson just because Wilson has won a Super Bowl and lots of games overall. Those are good reasons for giving Wilson the advantage in the competition. But there’s more to it. Fields has struggled with aspects of his game since entering the league in 2021. If he wants to earn starts in 2024, he has to improve in those areas to earn his coaches’ trust.
Kimes is well aware of that and draws attention to those areas. But she thinks that if Fields keeps getting opportunities like he did on the first day of camp and shows improvement, he’s got a chance.
“If he can show all of those things this summer, you haven’t even tapped into what makes him so exciting, which is that dual-threat ability,” Kimes said. “And that’s that ability that I think could really take this offense to the next level.”
If Fields can truly improve as a passer, his athleticism could be the thing that puts him over the top as a starter. Fields has been one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the NFL in his career. In 2022, he ran for 1,143 yards, 7.1 yards per carry, and eight rushing touchdowns. He’s a genuine threat with the ball in his hands.
Fields just needs to be a more consistent threat when dropping back and throwing. Fields could be an excellent fit for Smith’s offense. He can be a weapon in the run game while also attacking defenses with the deep ball. Smith is excited to work with Fields, and he got his first real chance on Thursday.
Fields needs to keep taking advantage of each and every opportunity he gets. If he does, he and Smith might be working together much more closely in 2024.
