One of the biggest topics ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 season was their quarterback situation. In 2023, despite their 10-7 record and playoff berth, the quarterback situation was painful. Pittsburgh knew they had to make a change, and as a result, they brought in Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.
Both were veterans, but Wilson, being 35 and having a much more complete career resume, won the starting job. He had that job until just a few days before the first game of the season when a re-aggravated calf injury caused him to miss some time. Fields then stepped in and has done very well since. Behind Fields, Pittsburgh owns a 3-0 record and is one of only five teams in the NFL that remains undefeated.
The position is still up in the air, though, with Tomlin not announcing Fields as the starter. It seems if he has a couple of bad performances, Wilson could regain the job once he’s healthy.
Justin Fields has a confident mindset, though. While he respects Wilson, he also isn’t going to back down from his starting role, according to CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala.
“He [Fields] said that he does not want to give this position up,” said Kinkhabwala during an interview with 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday. “He said it as clearly and cleanly as he could have, and Mike Tomlin loved it. Mike Tomlin said that’s who he has been from day zero. His exact words to me were he [Fields] respects Russ [Wilson], but he does not bow down to Russ.”
Kinkhabwala was on the Steelers’ sideline during their Week 2 affair against the Denver Broncos. As the sideline reporter for CBS, she spent the week with both teams before the game and observed both sidelines during the game as well. With that in mind, her insight comes from a pretty credible place.
It’s unsurprising to hear that Fields has this mindset, though. His teammates describe him as a calm yet confident leader, and he’s maintained that confidence through each of the Steelers’ first three games.
Justin Fields has a lot at stake right now. The first stint of his career with the Chicago Bears didn’t end well. With that in mind, he knows this is his chance to get his career back on the right track.
Through three games, Fields has thrown for 518 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. His 95.3 passer rating and 73.3% completion percentage would both be career highs if the season ended today.
Now, the offense hasn’t been perfect. Pittsburgh has just three touchdowns in three games, so some improvement can definitely be made. Still, Justin Fields is doing exactly what he needs to do to win games. If he keeps winning games, he’ll likely keep his job.
