Justin Fields offers honest take on possibly losing his starting job
Aug 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) warms up before a game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers look like they are going to make a quarterback change in Week 7 despite their impressive start to the season. If Justin Fields is angry about that, he is doing a good job of keeping it to himself.
Fields was asked on Thursday about the possibility of being benched for Sunday night’s game against the New York Jets after he has led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record. The former first-round pick had a very honest response.
“I don’t think I played good enough, if I’m being real with you,” Fields said. “If I’m being real with myself, I think if I did play well enough I don’t think there would be any, sort of, ‘who should be playing, who should not.’ We got a few wins. Of course I’m glad about that, but there’s areas that I could be better in. I’m just gonna continue to work on those and try to be better.”
Justin Fields very candid today: “I don’t think I played good enough if I’m being real with you.
“If I’m being real with myself, if I did play well enough, I don’t think there would be any sort of (question) who should be playing who should not.” pic.twitter.com/8eW7hH75f6
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) October 17, 2024
Russell Wilson, who returned to practice last week from a calf injury, has been taking first-team reps in practice this week. While head coach Mike Tomlin has not named a starter for Sunday’s game, all signs point to Wilson getting the nod.
Fields has completed 66.3% of his passes for 1,106 yards, 5 touchdowns and just 1 interception. He has 231 rushing yards and another 5 scores on the ground. He has avoided the types of mistakes that plagued his career with the Chicago Bears, which is a big reason why the Steelers have a winning record.
Wilson beat out Fields for the starting job over the summer, and it seems like Tomlin still views the 35-year-old as Pittsburgh’s best option. That has created an unfortunate situation for Fields, but the former Ohio State star is handling it well.