Russell Wilson won the quarterback battle for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but one of the reasons people want Justin Fields to keep the job is his incredible rushing ability. Fields is one of only three quarterbacks to ever run for over 1,000 yards in a season. He’s a marvel to watch when he takes off, even if he has other glaring flaws. Analyst Gregg Rosenthal even believes Fields is one of the greatest rushing quarterbacks of all time.
On a recent episode of his podcast, NFL Daily, Rosenthal explained why he believes the Steelers should embrace Fields.
“I believe him to be one of the greatest running quarterbacks of all time in terms of his instincts as a runner,” Rosenthal said. “Not just his power, but avoiding hits, making people miss, he is talented. He’s not always the most accurate on the short stuff but had some beautiful deeper throws to George Pickens.”
Fields has the stats to back up his abilities as a runner but calling him one of the best ever is high praise. Players like Cam Newton, Steve Young, and Fran Tarkenton may not have rushed for the same yardage in a single season as Fields, but they were absolutely lethal with their legs. It’s an interesting conversation to have though considering what Fields has already done in his short career.
In Week 1, Fields didn’t have any highlight-reel runs, but he was effective. He frequently ran to great success, picking up crucial first downs. It was an element of the Steelers’ offense that threw the Atlanta Falcons off balance. If he continues to start, there will likely be more opportunities for him to showcase his greatest skill.
However, for as great of a runner as he is, Fields has some serious struggles as a passer. Like Rosenthal said, he had issues completing short passes in Week 1, although his deep ball was more successful. If he manages to improve in that area, it’s curious to think if that would make his rushing ability even deadlier.
With Fields in line to start against the Denver Broncos, they will likely be more prepared for his mobility. Their defense isn’t amazing, but it will be interesting to see how they try to limit Fields on the ground. If he’s as good as Rosenthal believes him to be, he should have no problems continuing to make plays.
