Justin Fields seems okay with the possibility of being benched for Russell Wilson, especially since the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently 4-2 and tied for first place in the AFC North.
As the fourth-year quarterback, Fields realizes he has done some good things while filling in for Wilson, who has been recovering from a calf injury. However, he is uncertain if his performance has been strong enough to convince coach Mike Tomlin that he should stay as the starter when Wilson is healthy again.
“I don’t think I played good enough, if I’m being real with you,” Fields said Thursday. “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.’”
Even though Tomlin has not named a starter for the upcoming Sunday night game against the New York Jets (4-2), it seems likely that the 35-year-old Wilson will make his debut with the Steelers.
The nine-time Pro Bowler has been practicing with the first team this week, and in a significant change, Fields spoke to the media before Thursday’s practice, rather than after, which had been the usual routine all season.
Tomlin has suggested that Wilson could return, mentioning that both Fields and the Steelers have been “really good at times” in the first part of the season, but this should not be mistaken for greatness.
Fields has contributed 10 touchdowns (five passing and five rushing) while only turning the ball over three times (one interception and two fumbles). However, his accuracy has decreased in the last two weeks, and with a tough schedule coming up after the team’s bye week in early November, Tomlin seems ready to explore what Wilson could bring to the team.
Tomlin and first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith have both made it a priority to praise Fields whenever they can. Tomlin often highlights Fields’ toughness, while Smith admires the 25-year-old’s maturity. Smith points out that Fields tends to blame himself even when he plays well, which shows his selflessness.
“I think that’s why you love working with Justin, because that’s real,” Smith said. “That’s not just some cliche that some TV guru or somebody (else) told him to say.”
Fields, who the Steelers traded for from Chicago just days after signing Wilson to a one-year deal, shrugged off questions about how he feels about possibly being benched.
“I’m just going to do my job,” he said. “And whether that’s playing, it’s helping the guys out on the sideline, telling them what I see (or) helping Russ out if he’s out there.”
Fields and Wilson seem to have kept a friendly relationship during this time. Wilson was visibly excited when Fields scored a touchdown against the Raiders, and Fields has shown respect for Wilson’s position as the player who has been seen as the starter since they both joined the team.
Still, the situation highlights the unusual position the Steelers are in.
For example, Tomlin mentioned in a news conference on Tuesday that “stats are often for losers. It’s comfort food when you take a (loss)” and has historically stated that coaches and quarterbacks are judged only by their wins. Pittsburgh is off to its second consecutive 4-2 start.
A year ago, the offense was in a similar situation. Kenny Pickett was in his first full season as a starter, but there was no talk of changing quarterbacks, even though scoring was hard to come by.
Tomlin noted that the circumstances are quite different this time. At that point, Pittsburgh was committed to Pickett as their franchise quarterback, and his backups were Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph, neither of whom had Wilson’s experience.
In contrast, both Wilson and Fields could be free agents next spring. Allowing Wilson to play would at least give Tomlin a better idea of what he has in both players moving forward.
When asked if he was concerned that Fields’ confidence might be affected if Wilson starts against the Jets, Smith provided an interesting perspective on the unusual situation the Steelers find themselves in.
“He’s 4-2,” Smith said. “He’s been pretty productive.” But it seems that he hasn’t been productive enough to remain on the field. At least for now.
