After six weeks of decent play, it looks like Justin Fields is being benched. It doesn’t sound like it’s because of anything he did though. Based on what the coaches are saying, it seems like the Steelers were always going to give the job back to Russell Wilson once he was healthy. Whether that’s the correct decision or not remains to be seen. However, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated that nothing Fields did was going to change the Steelers’ plans.
“It was always going to be this way,” Dulac said Thursday on The Rich Eisen Show. “I’m just a little surprised that they’re doing it right now. But they felt there are deficiencies in their passing game. They didn’t want Justin Fields throwing in the middle of the field. He’s not allowed to audible. He could check out of a play.
“We shall see how this will all play out, but this was all part of their plan that they spent months discussing. So, they weren’t going to let six weeks change their mind or change their plan.”
That seems like the strategy the Steelers have been using since they acquired Fields. Mike Tomlin stated that there would be a quarterback competition, even though Wilson was in the driver’s seat. It never felt like he left that position despite all that Fields did. Obviously, no one has more knowledge on the situation than Tomlin, but it always felt like the job was more Wilson’s to lose than anything.
Through six weeks, Fields hasn’t been a superstar, but he has looked like a starting quarterback. He hasn’t turned the ball over, he’s made big plays when needed, and he utilized’s his legs well. In terms of running the offense, Fields has done a great job. The Steelers want to be a run-first team, and Fields has helped them execute that vision.
The offense still hasn’t look great, but it’s hard to blame that on Fields. The run game has been incredibly stagnant at times, and yet, the Steelers keep trying to make it work. In those situations, Fields proved that he could be trusted with the ball in his hands. However, it doesn’t seem like any of that mattered.
Reports have circulated that this decision was made solely by Tomlin, and the more time passes, the truer that feels. Fields seems to be taking the expected change in stride, reacting like a pro. Arthur Smith didn’t seem like he was asking for a change to be made either. There’s a reason Tomlin gets paid the big bucks though. Time will tell if he made the right call assuming he goes with Wilson. However, it’s still unfortunate that it seems like Fields never really had a chance.
