There is no stat to show this, but if you added up the sum total of segments across ESPN, NFL Network, and other major media outlets, the quarterback competition in Pittsburgh has been one of the most talked about storylines over the last several months. It has reached a peak as of late with Mike Tomlin putting off the Week 1 starter announcement. Even if you really wanted to avoid hearing about that topic, it wouldn’t be easy to do so. But don’t tell that to Justin Fields.
“I mean, yeah, I feel like me and [Russell Wilson] really don’t pay attention to the outside stuff,” Fields said when asked about the chatter surrounding him and Wilson in a video posted by TribLive’s Chris Adamski on X. “I know me personally, I don’t watch ESPN or SportsCenter or anything like that. So we really haven’t really talked about it, to be honest with you. We just come in and work.”
While Fields’ status with the Chicago Bears was still up in the air this offseason before being traded, he explained on The 33rd Team’s podcast with Amon-Ra and Equanimeous St. Brown why he unfollowed the Bears on social media. These things tend to make the news, especially during contract talks or other similar circumstances. Fields said it was simply to get away for a bit during the offseason while he was on vacation. Phones have push notifications that make it nearly impossible to avoid unwanted news stories.
It really does seem like Fields shuts out the noise.
Fields had a golden opportunity during training camp with Wilson sitting out due to a calf injury. He got almost three weeks of first-team reps and got to start the first preseason game. His training camp performance was very strong, but there were some issues with his preseason play. Wilson didn’t exactly set the world on fire, but head coach Mike Tomlin has been very consistent since March that Wilson had pole position.
Unless something surprising happens, Tomlin should be naming Wilson the starting quarterback sometime over the next handful of days. Fields told the media earlier in the offseason that he didn’t come to Pittsburgh with the mindset of sitting on the bench all year. He may not have to with many thinking the Steelers will keep him involved with a package of plays.
There is still a path to Fields being a long-term answer for the Steelers. For now, he just needs to keep his head down and keep working. Shutting out the noise is probably wise.
