Are the Steelers using Justin Fields like a “legit backup quarterback”?
While the Pittsburgh Steelers have started Justin Fields in the first two games of the season, he remains listed as the second-string quarterback on their official depth chart behind Russell Wilson. Wilson has missed large chunks of the past couple months after injuring his calf at the start of training camp. Head coach Mike Tomlin refuses to entertain the quarterback “controversy”, conveniently citing Wilson’s health.
He does have a point, of course; you can’t really have the discussion until Wilson is healthy. Justin Fields does have the Steelers 2-0 to start the season, but how much credit does he deserve? On the whole, he has played sound football and kept the team out of harm’s way. At the same time, the Steelers haven’t exactly taken the leash off him.
In fact, he significantly curtailed his rushing after setting a Steelers modern-era quarterback record with 14 attempts in the opener. Justin Fields only held or carried the ball on 30 of the Steelers’ 66 offensive plays last Sunday. He attempted 20 passes, took two sacks, and ran eight times.
For a running quarterback, that is a low usage rate. But are the Steelers treating Fields like a “legit backup quarterback”, as Mark Kaboly believes? Are they curtailing their offense in ways they would not do for Russell Wilson beyond skill-set differences?
Or perhaps the Steelers’ mode of winning at the quarterback position simply looks like a conservative backup role. After all, everybody knows their defense leads the roster. Tomlin has functioned in this environment before, especially the last two years. Of course they don’t want Justin Fields to take unnecessary risks, understanding the importance of turnover differential.
The Steelers are plus-five in turnover differential, which is the best in the NFL. The defense has five takeaways, and Justin Fields and the offense have yet to turn the ball over. They want to keep that general trend, but are they being extra cautious because they are playing with Fields? Are they treating him like he is the backup quarterback—which he technically is at this point?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
