There are a number of ways to respond to adversity in life, but Justin Fields took a stoic approach to seemingly being benched in favor of Russell Wilson after starting the season 4-2. He acknowledged his shortcomings, said the setback will make him better, and still plans on preparing the same way regardless of his role.
Fields has earned a lot of points in the media, with the coaching staff, and most importantly, with his teammates.
“I think it goes to show how much this guy is revered,” Damien Woody said on ESPN’s SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. “If you listen to how the people in the Chicago Bears’ locker room talked about him and how guys in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room talk about him, this guy gets it.”
The way he handled the benching is nothing short of spectacular. Just a year ago, we saw what it looked like for Kenny Pickett. It wasn’t anywhere near as graceful. Response to adversity is one of the telltale signs of a good leader, and Fields passed that test with flying colors.
“Lot of ways to be a leader,” Van Pelt said. “I think he was in that moment.”
The leadership component at the quarterback position is a big piece of the puzzle and one that Mike Tomlin has talked about dating back to March as a critical part of this competition. They may have two different leadership styles, Wilson more vocal to the full group and Fields more individual, but both appear to be highly effective in building up support and trust in the locker room.
Najee Harris offered up a ton of support to Fields following the Steelers’ Thursday practice. After hearing what Fields told the media about possibly losing his job, Harris made sure to publicly say that the locker room has his back.
Even dating back to when Fields initially lost the quarterback competition, he has been nothing but a true professional, always saying that he prepares as the starter and never putting up so much as even a veiled complaint. Pat Freiermuth described the dynamic between the two quarterbacks as having “zero jealousy, zero resentment.”
There is a reason why the Bears went out of their way to make sure Fields landed on in a good situation when trading him. Bears GM Ryan Poles said he wanted to do right by Fields, and that only happens if the quarterback was nothing but a true professional throughout the process.
We will see how this Wilson experiment turns out, but Fields has taken another step toward proving he is a long-term option for the Steelers in my eyes.
