Credit: AP Photo/John Locher
Steelers quarterback Justin Fields acknowledged on Thursday that his performance in six starts hasn’t been strong enough to remove any debate about who should start against the New York Jets this Sunday.
“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.
“At the end of the day, I got a few wins. Of course, I’m glad about that, but there’s areas that I could be better at and I’m just going to continue to work on those and continue to get better.”
Fields, who went 4-2 in those starts, leads all NFL quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns. However, the Steelers’ offense ranks 28th in passing and 20th in points per game. His passing completion rate also dropped from 69% in the first four games to 57% over the last two.
Wilson Considered as Potential Starter
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, however, believes Fields may be too hard on himself. “I think sometimes some guys are too hard on themselves,” Smith said. “… You appreciate it about him. That’s why he works so hard, and nobody wants to be a martyr, but I mean I’m even guilty of the times. … It’s not ever as bad as you think, and sometimes you think you play well and you go back and say, ‘Hey, we got to wait with a few things.’
“I think that’s why you love working with Justin, because that’s real. That’s not just some cliché that some QB guru or somebody along the way told him to say. I mean a lot of these guys are hard on themselves and there’s so much that goes into playing quarterback, obviously the physical tools or you wouldn’t be at this level, but the mental component to me is what separates the great ones from the other starters in this league, and that’s what he’s pushing himself to be.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, who has recovered from a lingering calf injury, is being considered to start. Wilson took first-team reps in practice earlier in the week, signaling a potential switch under center.
“I want to be 6-0 right now, but it was a great opportunity for me,” Fields said when asked whether he got what he wanted out of his starts. “Of course, I’m grateful for the opportunity. I did get those first six weeks, and we’ll just see what happens this week.”
Smith Weighs Trade-Off Between Fields and Wilson
The potential shift to Wilson could bring more long-range passing ability, but the Steelers would lose the mobility that Fields brings. Smith said that trade-off is part of the calculus when determining the starter.
“They’re at completely different points of career and I’d argue different players,” Smith said. “So that’s the give and take. I mean obviously everybody’s seen [Fields’ mobility]. It’s been a weapon for us certainly, especially in situational football, but that’s fine. You just pivot and you lean into something else and that’s what you do. That’s our job.”
Fields’ Confidence and Role Moving Forward
Regardless of who starts, Fields said his approach won’t change. “I’m just doing the same thing I was doing,” he said. “I just do my job at the end of the day, whether that’s playing, helping the guys out on the sideline, telling them what I see, helping Russ out if he’s out there. So just small stuff like that.”
Fields also praised Smith, who helped Fields reduce the turnovers that plagued him in Chicago. This season, Fields has five passing touchdowns to one interception along with 16 sacks and one lost fumble.
“He just pushed me every day to get better as a quarterback, developmental-wise,” Fields said of Smith. “Really just a person, too. I love Arthur. He knows that, and yeah, glad that he’s our OC.”
Emotional Impact of Potential QB Change Acknowledged
Smith, who previously dealt with several quarterback changes during his tenure as Atlanta’s head coach, acknowledged the emotional component of a switch and how it could affect Fields’ confidence. He said that’s something coaches have to consider when making a change.
“You look at everything,” Smith said. “I mean you try to look at from every vantage point, but that’s why you have to have conversations. No decision is ever easy. … When you become callous to it or numb, you probably should get out of this thing, but I think [Fields’] confidence should be high. He’s 4-2, he’s been pretty productive and so whatever Mike tells us to do, like I said, I’ve got it ready either way and just working and that’s my job.”
And though his role might be reduced Sunday, Fields isn’t ruling out the opportunity to contribute to the team throughout the season. “I think you just never know what happens,” Fields said. “… It’s a long season and life is crazy in general, so you just never know.”
This report used information from ESPN.
