Justin Fields gets surprise demotion for Week 8

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

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields is getting a big demotion for Monday’s game against the New York Giants, but the team has a reason for the move.

Fields will be inactive for the Steelers’ Week 8 game and will be relegated to third-string emergency quarterback duties, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The move is not performance-based, however, as Fields is dealing with a minor hamstring injury and the Steelers decided to play it safe with him.

#Steelers QB Justin Fields will be the team’s third (emergency) QB tonight vs. the #Giants. Kyle Allen will serve as the backup to Russell Wilson. Fields’ hamstring injury is a minor one, so the team is playing it safe to give him time to heal up with the bye week on deck. pic.twitter.com/fabSWKz7tu

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 28, 2024

Fields was not going to start the game either way, as Russell Wilson solidified his hold on the job in last week’s win. There were reports at the time that the Steelers might still deploy Fields in certain packages due to his threat as a runner, but that did not end up happening.

Kyle Allen will serve as Wilson’s backup on Monday. The Steelers have a bye in Week 9, so one would assume Fields will reclaim his usual backup role for Week 10.