Quarterback has been an issue for the Pittsburgh Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger retired. They’ve yet to find his successor, but Justin Fields might be their best hope yet. Fields wasn’t going to be the starter, but an injury to Russell Wilson has given him a chance to shine. It isn’t official yet, but it seems like Fields will be the starter going forward. Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons believes that this year could be a defining one in Fields’ career.
“They are rolling,” Parsons said earlier this week on his podcast. “The Steelers are looking good. And I think Justin Fields is only going to keep getting better. I think this is going to be a signature Justin Fields year. I think it’ll be hard for them to put [Wilson] back into the lineup.”
Parsons and the Cowboys will be the Steelers’ opponent in Week 5, and it seemed like he was preparing to face Fields and not Wilson before getting hurt. An ankle injury sustained Thursday night will likely keep him out of that game, depriving Parsons of a first-hand look at Fields’ improved play.
Fields has been a welcome surprise for the Steelers. He lost the initial quarterback battle to Wilson, but since then, he’s done nothing but get better. He’s minimized his turnovers and made several big plays. It was unclear if he would remain the starter once Wilson was healthy, but now, that seems like a certainty.
If Fields does hold on to the starting job and the Steelers make the playoffs, Parsons could be correct that this is one of the best years of his career. His career as a starter seemed to be in jeopardy after he flamed out with the Chicago Bears. He didn’t get traded for very much, and it looked like the Steelers would have to do a lot of work to get him to reach his potential.
However, they haven’t needed Fields to be their hero. They aren’t putting a ton of pressure on his shoulders. They’ve won games on the back of their phenomenal defense, asking Fields to just not make many mistakes. He’s followed that game plan perfectly. Even if he doesn’t look like a superstar, if the Steelers win games, then this will be a signature year for him.
