What do the Pittsburgh Steelers have in Justin Fields? Do they even know? While they watched him start the first six games of the season, they always had their eye toward the future. HC Mike Tomlin opted to start Russell Wilson once he brought himself to a readiness to do so. What does that say about Fields and his future, though, if anything? Does that close the book on him as a potential future franchise quarterback?
“No, I don’t think it does,” former NFL GM Doug Whaley said on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday. “I think it really solidifies in [the Steelers’] minds … that Justin [Fields] has a ceiling and he hasn’t reached it yet. But he still is further behind and he’s got a ways to go. I don’t think you close the book on it. One thing that is evident is that you have two quarterbacks you can win with.”
The Steelers posted a 4-2 record in the first six weeks with Justin Fields starting. Had the defense not spoiled a game-winning drive against the Dallas Cowboys, they could have gone 5-1. While the offense didn’t put up gaudy numbers, it did enough more often than not.
Still, Tomlin felt the Steelers could do more offensively right now with Russell Wilson.
“No slight on Justin [Fields],” Whaley insisted. “He’s just not there yet.”
At the same time, he is also in his fourth season, so how long does it take to get there? He has dealt with a lot of turnover, a new coordinator virtually every year. Is he still the sort of talent who can become a franchise guy?
“I think he is. I think you have something to work with, and you see he has been able to take what they want to do and execute it at a high level,” Whaley said of Justin Fields. “Now he’s just got to be able to be fed more and more and more. … I think his arrow is still pointing up, and I don’t see why you would close the book on Justin Fields.”
One obstacle is that Wilson and Fields are free agents after this season. Assuming Wilson continues to play well, the Steelers may not have the ability to re-sign both. And if they are re-signing Wilson, it’s because he will have looked like a starter for the rest of this season.
If he doesn’t, the Steelers will still have Justin Fields as an alternative option. But I think the plan of starting Russell Wilson and developing Fields as the future is no longer an option. With a quality six-game body of work, the Steelers can’t afford to have their cake and eat it, too.
Some team will look at what Justin Fields did this year with the Steelers and offer him a starting opportunity. If the Steelers re-sign Russell Wilson, they couldn’t possibly do that. And how motivated would Fields be to re-sign with Pittsburgh to continue “developing” no matter how much he likes it?
