Justin Fields wants to remain a Pittsburgh Steeler. Despite being swapped out for Russell Wilson mid-way through the season and seeing few snaps since, his goal is to re-sign with the team this offseason.
“I want to be here,” Fields told TribLive’s Kevin Gorman in a Sunday morning article. “I’m kind of tired of learning a new offense every year. This will be my third in four years. Of course, I’d love to be back, but that’s all up to God at the end of the day. I’ll be where God wants me to be.”
Fields has had a volatile career since being drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bears in 2021. Thrust into the starting role as a rookie, he carried the weight of being a franchise player for a Bears franchise that struggled to support him. He didn’t have the pieces around him to thrive early in his career: a poor wide receiver room and a struggling offensive line. While the talent improved later in his Chicago career, the constant coaching staff changes made it difficult to find success. He had two head coaches and two offensive coordinators in three years with the Bears.
It’s what made Pittsburgh attractive and why Fields and his agent steered the Bears toward sending him to the Steelers. With a stable culture and a competitive track record, Fields chose Pittsburgh even knowing the team had just signed Wilson as their de facto starter. The opportunity came sooner than expected, thanks to Wilson battling calf injuries in the summer, allowing Fields to start the first six games.
He played well and showed an ability to take care of the football, which was his biggest concern from his time in Chicago. With structure and adhering to the Steelers’ scheme, Fields threw just one interception across 161 attempts, a wacky play against the Los Angeles Chargers in which the ball was deflected high up into the air and picked on the way down. Fumbles were more frequent, six in total, but his play was cleaner than ever.
Despite his and the team’s success, Tomlin turned back to Wilson mid-season, starting him in Week 7. Aside from using Fields in a handful of specialty situations that leaned on his rushing ability, 13 snaps since being replaced, he’s spent most of his time on the sidelines. Injuries have played a role, too. He was inactive in Week 8 with a minor hamstring injury and missed the past two games with an abdominal injury. He’s expected to return for tonight’s finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Developing footwork, getting smarter, learning different defenses, different schematics and stuff like that – Coach T’s helping me a lot with that,” Fields told Gorman. “I definitely got better from last year.”
Whether or not Justin Fields actually stays in Pittsburgh remains to be seen. The Steelers’ priority seems to be getting a multi-year deal done with Wilson that will be far more expensive than the league minimum they’re paying him now. If a contract is agreed to, Fields won’t have a path to start. With a weak free agency and draft class, there could be chances for Fields to start where there weren’t a year ago. A solid season in Pittsburgh could have other teams thinking differently about Fields after shunning him on the trade market last offseason.
Though Fields has said and done all the right things since being acquired, including in this interview, football remains a business. His best chance to show his growth might be with another team.
