He played just two series against the Detroit Lions Saturday inside Ford Field in the preseason finale, but fourth-year Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields ended the preseason on a high note. He led the Steelers to a touchdown, capping his preseason in style.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was noncommittal on the starting quarterback job following the 24-17 loss to the Lions, stating to reporters that he’ll make the decision later next week after another work week. Fields — who spoke to Steelers.com’s Missi Matthews on the field after the game — stated that he’s just happy he was able to show the Steelers want he brings to the table.
“Just my leadership, what I’m able to do inside the pocket, outside of the pocket as well,” Fields told Matthews when asked what he feels he showed the coaches, according to video via Steelers.com. “And just what I bring to the table. So, glad I was able to do that. Glad that I was able to get some chemistry with the guys on the team, and we’re just gonna keep growing and keep doing better.”
Fields took on a larger role immediately in training camp as veteran quarterback Russell Wilson suffered a calf injury during the conditional test while pushing a weighted sled the night before the first training camp practice. The injury pushed Fields into the QB1 role, which allowed him to get valuable reps and show what he can do in Arthur Smith’s scheme.
The former Ohio State quarterback and No. 11 overall pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft showed off his arm and legs throughout training camp and made some eye-opening plays. He also had some mind-numbing mistakes, too.
But that’s the full Justin Fields experience right now. That’s what makes him so enticing and exciting, but so maddening.
He has the ability to be a true game breaker with his rushing ability, which can really open things up for the offense. But he also has turnover issues, which showed up at times during the preseason.
We’ll see what decision Tomlin makes later in the week. Right now, based on the way things were handled Saturday against the Lions, it appears that Wilson is the starter and Fields the backup, though he’ll have packages in place to get opportunities.
He showed a lot of what he needed to though, which has the future looking relatively bright for Fields in Pittsburgh.
