The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen a decent bit of Justin Fields as their starting quarterback to start training camp. When they initially traded for him, they probably didn’t expect to get this much of a look at him. Mike Tomlin has constantly reaffirmed that Russell Wilson is in pole position for the starting job. However, getting to see what they have in Fields probably doesn’t bother the Steelers too much. Former general manager Michael Lombardi believes that the only thing that could hold Fields back from starting is his inability to not turn the ball over.
Speaking on a recent episode of his show the Lombardi Line, Lombardi was asked about his opinion on the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh.
“Wilson protected the ball last year,” Lombardi said. “If Fields doesn’t protect the ball, then I’ve got some real issues. Mike Tomlin’s not gonna tolerate somebody that doesn’t protect the football. There’s no question about that.”
Despite taking a step back over the past few years, Wilson didn’t turn the ball over much last season. He only threw eight interceptions, though he lost five fumbles. The narrative around Fields is that he’s more prone to turnovers than Wilson, but that might not be completely true.
Fields also fumbled ten times last year, only losing four of them, but he also threw nine interceptions. Overall, that means that Fields and Wilson had the same number of turnovers last year. Fields threw 11 interceptions in 2022 and ten in 2021. Wilson also threw 11 interceptions in 2022 but only six in 2021. However, he did throw 13 picks in 2020, the most of his career.
Fields has fumbled more over the past few years, but he was also playing with worse teams, and he has far fewer seasons under his belt than Wilson. Overall, the two of them have been relatively even when it comes to turnovers. The real issue is the ratio of those turnovers when compared to their touchdowns.
Fields only threw for 16 touchdowns last year, adding four more on the ground. Wilson, in contrast, threw 26 touchdowns with three rushing touchdowns. Therefore, while they both produce a similar number of turnovers, Wilson scores much more than Fields, making him a more appealing option to start, at least on paper.
These numbers aren’t totally indicative of Wilson and Fields as players. Sometimes interceptions aren’t a quarterback’s fault. Sometimes plays result in touchdowns more because of the receiver than the quarterback. Circumstances matter. However, Lombardi’s point still stands that Tomlin won’t tolerate someone who turns the football over more than they score.
He’s always preached that the Steelers need to win the turnover battle. If they are routinely losing that battle, then Tomlin may be more inclined to go with one guy over the other. Wilson hasn’t practiced yet, so it’s tough to compare the two, but Fields has thrown a few interceptions in camp. It’s only training camp though, so not too much should be read into that. Once Wilson is healthy and has a body of work with the Steelers, that conversation will be easier to have.
