Justin Fields has been quarterbacking the Pittsburgh Steelers for so long that even the skeptics are starting to question if there really is a competition after all to quarterback the Arthur Smith offense. It was only Russell Wilson’s calf injury that afforded Fields this opportunity, but most agree he has made things interesting.
Has it been interesting enough for Arthur Smith to want to play Justin Fields even if he isn’t starting? The veteran offensive coordinator isn’t willing to go that far, at least not just yet. Asked earlier this week if the Steelers would put a package together for Fields, he said, “We’ve got a long way to go”, via transcript provided by the Steelers media relations department. “I respect the question, but we’ll see how this thing plays out”.
The Steelers pursued Russell Wilson this offseason to be their starting quarterback—or compete with Kenny Pickett, whichever you prefer. Either way, Pickett requested a trade, and they granted his request, subsequently trading for Justin Fields.
A former first-round draft pick, Fields’ track record of success in Chicago was non-existent, but his talent was evident. He posted a 10-28 record but watch a highlight reel of him playing and you can convince yourself that you can be the one who turns his career around.
I don’t know that the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin are quite there yet, but they are clearly interested. And using Justin Fields in a package isn’t exactly a far-fetched notion, one the team discusses openly.
Last week, Fields expressed openness to running a package designed for him if he doesn’t start. Even Wilson, the presumptive starter, is on record that he is in favor of such an idea. The coaches haven’t commented on it much though, evading questions when asked.
This isn’t even a new position for Arthur Smith, who delayed a response about a Justin Fields package in June. It was “too early” then, and even with one preseason game down, it still appears to be too soon. Of course, there may be diplomatic reasons for the response to these questions.
For starters, they don’t want to talk about a Fields package if he is seriously competing for a starting job. They can worry about incorporating him into the offense as some specialist later on once they decide who is under center. And many are starting to believe this is more of a competition than they thought. Perhaps even more than the Steelers thought it would be.
Yet Fields has converted those outside the team into believers. Once having shot down the notion, Gerry Dulac went from saying such a package isn’t in Mike Tomlin’s nature to saying he would be stupid not to use it.
But the Steelers aren’t going to show us much before the regular season begins, one way or another. There are only two preseason games remaining, and don’t expect to see Fields and Wilson playing on the same drive.
