Justin Fields wouldn’t be here if Kenny Pickett wanted to be, yet he could start the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season opener. With starter Russell Wilson experiencing tightness in his injured calf, his status against the Falcons is unclear. Should the Steelers hold him out, Fields’ teammates believe he can carry them.
“Justin’s a guy that works a lot. We do a lot of things after practice to get our chemistry down with him”, Van Jefferson said, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “For the time that Russ was out and he was at camp, we all saw the way that he performed and how great he was out there in camp. I feel like if he’s out there, no one’s gonna miss a beat. I know he’s prepared to go out there and do it, so whatever happens Sunday, we’ll be ready”.
Russell Wilson injured his calf during the Steelers’ conditioning test to open training camp. Justin Fields got all the starter reps for a couple weeks thereafter, and he appeared to open some eyes. While the Steelers didn’t anoint him the starter, they believe he can run the offense.
One thing they know they have in Fields is the fallback option of extreme quarterback mobility. When the play breaks down, he can escape and turn a loss into a gain like few others. We did see that during the preseason, and that’s not a bad skill set to fall back on.
A former 11th-overall pick, Justin Fields started most of three seasons with the Chicago Bears. He only won 10 games during that time, however, and they moved on from him this offseason. Anticipating a more robust trade market, they held on to him for some time before the Steelers finally approached. And they only did so after Kenny Pickett asked for his trade.
But Fields has carried himself well since he’s been here, showing clear growth over the course of the offseason. Like Wilson, he has taken the time to work with his new teammates, and the training camp work is key. Jefferson noted that several of them worked with Fields after practice; Fields also participated in Wilson’s planned offseason meet-ups.
“It makes us feel more comfortable if Russ isn’t able to go”, Connor Heyward said of the level of confidence the offense has working with Fields. “But we’re not even thinking that because that’s not where it’s at right now. But obviously, if Justin’s in there, we have all the confidence in him as well”.
Batko sourced these quotes following yesterday’s practice, of course, so who knows what today brings. Perhaps Wilson is a full participant and exits the week with no game status.
That is what the Steelers hope, but they are also prepared to move forward with Justin Fields. Not that they have any other choice, beyond Kyle Allen. But I will say this—it would certainly be interesting watching Fields start the game if it reached that point.
