Just a decade ago, the prototypical quarterback in the NFL was more of a pocket passer. Navigating the pocket was and still is a crucial component of being effective, but the prototype has shifted in a lot of ways to favor quarterbacks with mobility. The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of those now in Justin Fields, and to a lesser extent, Russell Wilson.
“Quarterback mobility is a more significant part of the game than it’s ever been in today’s game,” Mike Tomlin said via the Steelers website back in 2022. This was the offseason that the Steelers were in the market for a new quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.
Tomlin has been talking about quarterback mobility for several years now, and he finally got what he wants. Former Steelers DL Chris Hoke believes Fields is exactly the type of quarterback that Tomlin has been after for years.
“I think Coach Tomlin really likes Justin Fields,” Hoke said via 93.7 The Fan’s Joe Starkey Show on Thursday morning. “I think he’s wanted a quarterback like him for a long time. A big, strong, athletic quarterback who can scramble and has a strong arm.
“Every coach feels like they can help a quarterback get to the next level. And so, they help him tweak him a little bit, help him throw with a little more anticipation. But look, in this game, this is the kind of player that Coach Tomlin loves.”
Tomlin talked about liking Fields back during the 2021 NFL Draft after the team acquired him back in March. He said he was just a “window shopper” at the time, admiring Fields from afar because the Steelers had no chance of him falling to them at pick No. 24.
At the end of the day, Fields is still just 25 years old. The start to his career wasn’t great, but he was also in a difficult situation with the Chicago Bears with coaching turnover and a lack of continuity and identity on offense.
Now he is with one of the most stable franchises in the NFL, and with a chance to become the quarterback of the future. He is only under contract through the 2024 season since the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, but he has already gotten more opportunities to show the team what he is capable of than anticipated early in the season.
Fields led the Steelers to a Week 1 win on the road. It wasn’t a perfect game, but he executed the game plan as it was prescribed to him and largely played mistake-free football. His passing stats weren’t all that impressive, but he extended drives with his legs, rushing for 57 yards on 14 attempts. That included five first downs with Fields rushing.
Even if Russell Wilson returns to be the starter once he is healthy, we will undoubtedly see Fields in some specialized packages. As Tomlin said, he is just too talented to sit on the bench all season.
