Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was an admirer of Justin Fields well before the team acquired the quarterback from the Chicago Bears.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington said Tuesday on Get Up that Tomlin “has long loved Justin Fields.” He had been asked whether the trade reflected an organizational opinion on Fields or was instead a “knee-jerk reaction” to dealing Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Adam Schefter of ESPN painted a similar picture more than a month ago, with comments that predated Pickett’s departure or the arrival of Russell Wilson. He said in February on The Pat McAfee Show that Tomlin “is a big fan of Justin Fields.”
With how everything shook out around the league, the Steelers might have been the best possible landing spot for the 25-year-old.
Even if Wilson leads the offense for Week 1, his grip on the starting job shouldn’t be unshakable. The nine-time Pro Bowler is only making $1.2 million on a one-year deal, so Pittsburgh has no compelling reason to keep him as the starter if he struggles for a long stretch. Nobody will be shocked if Fields eventually takes over as QB1.
Perhaps more importantly, the fourth-year signal-caller appears to have a coach who believes in his potential. This wasn’t a case of Tomlin simply filling out the depth chart or general manager Omar Khan capitalizing on what was a distressed asset.
As a member of the Steelers, Fields should have a great opportunity to prove his skeptics wrong after an offseason that sparked serious conversations over his on-field value.
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