1 day Ago By Tom Hanslin
Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger wants the team to keep Justin Fields as the starting QB. Fields has started in place of Russell Wilson through two games, and the Steelers are 2-0. Steelers are preparing for Week 3 against the Chargers with Fields in charge of the offense.
Justin Fields didn't win the preseason quarterback competition for the Pittsburgh Steelers , but he didn't exactly lose it either. The newly acquired backup was thrust into the starting role before Week 1 when veteran newbie Russell Wilson aggravated a calf injury , and to the shock of many fans, Fields helped the team achieve its first 2-0 start on the road since 1999. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin recently told reporters that Fields is preparing to start again in Week 3, as Wilson has yet to be cleared for full participation in practice.
But even if the two quarterbacks were at full strength, Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger holds a strong opinion on who deserves to be under center for the rest of this season. The answer is the incumbent. I like what I’ve seen [from Fields].
I like that he’s getting into it, I like that he’s getting the feel of it...
Big test this week with the Chargers coming into town. To me, if Russ is healthy, I’m sticking with Justin..
. I think that he has earned and deserves the right to stay there..
. Roethlisberger, who shared the strong Fields take during the latest episode of his Footbahlin podcast , harbored some doubts about the former first-round pick last week. He felt a change at quarterback would've been in order if the Steelers had dropped at least one of their games.
But it didn't take long for Roethlisberger to change his tune on Fields, who's held onto the job. Russell Wilson will continue to rest and recover from his calf issue until at least Week 4. Fair Take by Big Ben? Perhaps the biggest reason why the Steelers aren't in any rush to get Wilson back is the early efficiency level from Fields.
The fourth-year quarterback has completed nearly 70-percent of his passes (30 of 43) through two games, and hasn't thrown an interception or lost a fumble. Tomlin has also praised Fields' decision-making, and discussed their growing relationship. But there's also a considerable difference between efficiency and production , in this context.
The Steelers' offense has only scored 31 points thus far, and kicker Chris Boswell was solely responsible for the Week 1 victory, as he drilled six field goals to beat the Atlanta Falcons . They committed 10 penalties in Week 2, but still managed to outlast the Denver Broncos . The Steelers are simply asking Fields to be a game manager for now, regardless of whether they envision him ascending to franchise quarterback status.
With a vaunted defense led by edge rusher T.J. Watt , this squad likely plays more closely-contested games than blowouts, and as long as Fields remains mistake-free, there's no reason to fix what isn't really broken.
Who's Respected More? Fields showed some glimpses of a superstar in three seasons with the Chicago Bears by showcasing a stellar dual-threat skillset. But the team wasn't sold on a long-term future with him, and so they shipped him to the Steelers in March. It's clearly a prove-it audition season for Fields, whose fifth-year option wasn't picked up by his new employer.
Interestingly enough, Wilson is listed as the Steelers' starter on the depth chart. But the best ability is still availability, and Wilson's injury altered their initial vision . If the Steelers want to play the most mobile quarterback, there's no debate that it's Fields over Wilson.
The former has been sacked (103) more than anyone else since 2022, but the latter is a decade older. GIVEMESPORT Key Stat : Justin Fields is only the third quarterback in NFL history to rush for 2,000-plus yards in his first three seasons. Once the Steelers fully clear Wilson for action and see Fields struggle, the conversation about a change at quarterback can begin.
Roethlisberger said that Tomlin could still make a swap if it's necessary, but he compared it to his first NFL season in 2004. He took over for an injured Tommy Maddox in Week 3 and never gave the starting job back. Smart move by the Steelers.
Source: NFL Network All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise. Tracking every major injury in the NFL coming out of Week 2 and heading into Week 3, and what they mean for their respective teams..
