After three games, Russell Wilson will be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Where does that leave Justin Fields? He’s probably too talented to confine to the bench. Even if Wilson is a better passer, Fields’ mobility is an incredible weapon. The Steelers have talked about a Fields package on offense since before the season started, but so far, they haven’t used it.
So far being the operative words.
“We’ve got a package every week, and sometimes it goes back to the flow of the game,” Smith said Thursday via the team’s transcripts. “Obviously being smart with Justin [Fields].
“He’s had a little bit of a hamstring [injury], so that went in a little bit to the decision-making, but he’ll be ready to go when we need him. Maybe it’s Sunday. Maybe it’s next Sunday. Very confident, when we break it out, it will make a difference.
Smith is still being coy, but he does confirm that the Steelers have a Fields package ready to go. It’s curious when they would choose to deploy that strategy if they choose to. They probably could’ve used it in the red zone against the New York Giants or New York Jets, but with those being Wilson’s first two games back, maybe they wanted to let him settle in more.
It is also true that Fields suffered an injury late in the week that kept him out of the game against the Giants. That meant the Steelers couldn’t use him even if they wanted to. He was healthy last weel, but it was probably smart to still be cautious with him. Hamstring injuries can linger.
The offense also performed fine against the Washington Commanders, so there likely wasn’t any need to put the Fields package on tape. That could be one reason the Steelers haven’t executed it in a game yet. They could be saving it for when their offense is in real dire need of a spark.
It’s also probably been easier to get a Fields package together considering he was the starter for the first six games of the season. The Steelers got a nice, long look at what Fields does well and what he does poorly.
The threat of that kind of weapon still forces other teams to prepare for Fields even if the Steelers don’t use him. With Wilson as the starter, the offense has scored around 30 points per game. Like Smith says, they’ve operated with a decent flow.
It’s good to know that the Steelers aren’t just having Fields sit on the sideline holding a clipboard. He has his issues as a passer, but on the ground, he’s special. The Steelers might need that kind of talent late in the year, especially against some of the tougher opponents they’ll face. With the Steelers hosting the Baltimore Ravens Sunday, maybe Fields will see the field sooner rather than later.
