Justin Fields took the field Sunday for the first time since the Pittsburgh Steelers turned to Russell Wilson at quarterback. He played just three snaps, all running plays, including two keepers of his own. He recorded two successful runs for his efforts, though one much more so than the other, practically speaking.
Regardless of the results, he clearly has the support of the man he kept the seat warm for. Russell Wilson praised Justin Fields after Sunday’s game for helping the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens. His two carries provided the team with necessary healthy gains when behind the chains on second down. Steelers HC Mike Tomlin also made clear they won’t be bashful about using Fields’ athleticism to their advantage.
“I think the big thing about our quarterback room is we work hard every day. We love this game. I believe that Justin Fields is a franchise quarterback”, Wilson said, via the Steelers’ website. “He’s done it. He’s a great player, a great teammate, a hard worker. We just love doing this thing together”.
A former first-round pick of the Chicago Bears, Justin Fields started the first six games of the 2024 season for the Steelers while Russell Wilson nursed a calf injury. He went 4-2 in those starts, nearly going 5-1 if not for a defensive letdown in Dallas. With Russell Wilson dressed as his backup in Week 6, he had arguably his best game. While he didn’t throw a touchdown pass, he ran for two scores, the Steelers putting up 32 points.
This is not the first time Russell Wilson has praised Fields as a franchise quarterback. Wilson is never stingy with the accolades for his teammates, to be sure. But he also seems to have a genuine belief in Fields, the two sharing a relationship going back to Fields’ college days. He even said they talked about him potentially being traded to the Steelers even after Wilson signed with them earlier this offseason.
“To be able to lead this team and really the quarterback room too, it’s a big part of my joy of this season, just to be able to play with great guys”, Russell Wilson said of his time with Justin Fields leading the Steelers. “I just love this game. It’s all about us together. We’re doing it and we’re having fun while doing it”.
Wilson is coming off his worst game with the Steelers, however, going 23-of-36 passing for 205 yards. He did not throw a touchdown pass, picked off in the end zone instead. But Ravens QB Lamar Jackson had an even lower quarterback rating. Justin Fields totaled 17 yards on his two carries.
He had a chance of sealing the game on 2nd and 10, with a clear window for the first down. Instead, Fields slid too early, resulting in only a nine-yard gain. Wilson can say all he wants that he hates the slide rule, but it’s still the rule. And it’s also part of his obsessive efforts to lift his teammates, even attacking the both-feet-down catch rule in defense of George Pickens.
