The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their preseason on Friday night against the Houston Texans, and all eyes were on quarterback Justin Fields. The fourth-year quarterback is in the midst of a position battle with veteran Russell Wilson, and the thoughts are that if he can play well in the preseason he will have a legitimate shot to win the starting job. He has performed well during training camp, and showed some promising signs in Pittsburgh’s first preseason game.
Steelers.comSteelers QB Justin Fields working out in Pittsburgh.
Despite Fields looking good at points in the Steelers preseason loss, there were some concerning plays by the quarterback. He had issues getting the ball from the center which resulted in two fumbles, and he also held the ball for too long and took two sacks. These four blemishes are a lot while taking into account that he only played three series. Herm Edwards, a former NFL head coach and current analyst for ESPN, went on SportsCenter and spoke about Fields play against the Texans.
“There was some encouraging signs when he got the ball off. But there’s also some signs that show disappointment in the fact that they were really sloppy on offense. Ball exchange, quarterback-center, holding the ball too long in the pocket at times. We saw this when he was in Chicago…He had some early completions, but at the end of the day, he kind of fell back to how he was playing in Chicago.”
Fields career was a rollercoaster while with the Chicago Bears. He showed signs of real promise, but also had a serious issues with sacks and turnovers. These are the negative plays the Steelers will need to see be eliminated in order to start the young quarterback over Wilson. Fields needs to continue to practice well and perform better in the next preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
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Steelers Quarterback Russell Wilson will have plenty to prove during training camp 2024 as he tries to revitalize his career.
As of now, Wilson still leads the way at the quarterback position. It’s unclear how much he will play in the preseason, but Fields will have to do a lot more to claim the starting job. Edwards went on to reiterate that Wilson should be the starter for Pittsburgh as of now, but Fields can still be a factor in a different role.
“No doubt, Russell Wilson is the starter. And now Justin Fields, will he have a role? I think he might have a role, maybe a slash role when the season starts. But right now it’s Russell Wilson’s job to lose when the season starts.”
The slash role Edwards refers to when talking about Fields was popularized by former Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart. He was an athletic quarterback who was used on gadget plays and as a receiver before becoming the starter. Fields won’t be put on the field as a receiver, but he will likely see certain offensive packages that showcase his athleticism. These types of plays may be especially effective in the red zone with the use of Fields’ legs.
Steelers’ Justin Fields during training camp in 2024.
Steelers’ Fields Looked Promising Throwing The Ball
Fields had his fair share of struggles Friday night, but when he was able to get the ball out of his hands he looked like an improved passer from what has been seen in the past. He completed five passes that went for 67 yards, and he recorded just one incompletion. His incompletion wasn’t a bad throw, Van Jefferson just struggled to get both feet in bounds.
The young quarterback has a lot of upside with his athleticism, especially if he has become a better passer. He just needs to cut back on the self-inflicted wounds and keep the ball out of harms way.
The fumbles on the quarterback-center exchange are unacceptable, and he also needs to learn when to escape the pocket and use his legs to his advantage. That is when he is at his best. It looks promising that Wilson will start Week 1, but Fields still has plenty of time and opportunities to turn things around.
