The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired quarterback Justin Fields in a trade with the Chicago Bears earlier this month, and head coach Mike Tomlin seems thrilled to have him.
While speaking to reporters at the NFL’s Annual League Meeting on Monday, Tomlin raved about Fields.
“Oh my gosh, man, he oozes talent and potential,” Tomlin said, via Nick Shook of NFL.com. “He’s worn the responsibility of being a franchise quarterback, but still he gets an opportunity to come into a community-like situation and learn from a guy that’s been doing it for over a decade. Man, there’s a lot of meat left on that bone. Man. I’m just excited about working to be a part of extracting it.”
The Steelers only had to surrender a conditional sixth-round draft pick for Fields, who had worn out his welcome in Chicago. The Bears own the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft next month and are widely expected to take USC signal-caller Caleb Williams, leaving Fields in no man’s land.
Fields, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was selected by Chicago with the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
While he showed flashes of brilliance at times, Fields’ tenure in the Windy City was largely defined by inconsistency, as evidenced by his 10-28 record as a starter.
This past year, Fields displayed considerable potential, particularly between Weeks 4 and 5 when he totaled eight touchdown passes and one interception.
However, the 25-year-old proceeded to dislocate his thumb in Week 6 and missed the next four games as a result. Upon returning from injury, Fields’ inconsistent play returned with him.
On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Fields threw for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine picks while completing 61.4 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 86.3. He also rushed for 657 yards and four scores.
Perhaps a change of scenery was needed for Fields, who will likely be serving as Russell Wilson’s backup next season. The Steelers signed Wilson not long before trading for Fields.
The good news for Justin Fields is that he stands a decent chance of winning the starting job in 2025, or maybe even earlier if Wilson struggles.
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