Player: QB Justin Fields
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Not only did Justin Fields start the Steelers’ season opener, he played a pretty decent game. Most important, he played a smart game overall, avoiding costly mistakes. With Russell Wilson’s calf injury, it also looks like he has a shot at starting another game. The longer Fields remains on the field, the better his shot of staying put there.
Sometimes outside factors decide competitions, even if the competition isn’t real. Thanks to Russell Wilson’s calf injury, Justin Fields may have a legitimate shot at keeping the Steelers’ starting quarterback job. He already has a win under his belt, something he only managed 10 times in three years in Chicago.
During the season opener, Justin Fields went 17-of-23 passing for 156 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown, nor did he throw an interception. While there were some C/QB exchange issues, he also ran effectively to the tune of 57 yards.
And it looks like he will have a chance to start at least one more game. The Steelers framed last Sunday as a game-time decision for Russell Wilson, but hindsight suggests otherwise. Head coach Mike Tomlin certainly made it sound like Fields will be the only healthy starter-capable quarterback for Denver.
Wilson aggravated his calf injury during practice last week, so Fields stepped in mid-week. This week, he could operate from beginning to end as the starter, with a more tailored game plan. Although Wilson is practicing in a limited capacity, Fields is functioning as the starter—for now.
That is the prudent move until Wilson can demonstrate that he is healthy because he can only make things worse. Availability is the key ingredient here, and he has lacked that for the past two months. Justin Fields, meanwhile, has shown his ability to protect himself while staying disciplined.
I think more people were encouraged than discouraged by Fields’ Steelers debut, even without an offensive touchdown. They did produce six scoring drives, after all, even if all of them were field goals. Convert two of them into touchdowns and suddenly 18 points are 26, which isn’t half bad. If Fields can do that in Denver, maybe we really have a quarterback controversy brewing.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
