What does the future hold for Justin Fields in Pittsburgh?
Justin Fields has been traded by the Chicago Bears to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The news came just one day after Russell Wilson inked a one-year deal with Pittsburgh, following his departure from Denver. The trade sees the Bears receive a conditional sixth-round pick next year, with a possibility for it to become a fourth-round one.
Chicago ‘Blues’
Depending on who you ask, the Justin Fields experiment is over, or at least the test-runs in Chicago are anyway. How his career develops next depends upon a range of factors, not least needing to compete for a starting role and playing with a new offensive coordinator.
There are a couple of perspectives on why the former first-round pick didn’t ignite in Chicago. The first view being that he didn’t prove himself to be the elite talent he was anticipated to be, or secondly, that he couldn’t prove himself to be said elite talent as he didn’t have the right environment and people around him in order to succeed.
Certainly, the low-round pick offered as part of his trade supports the former viewpoint, although some reports suggest up to five other teams were negotiating bringing Fields in as a backup QB. The flip side view of this is that the Steelers might have acquired another bargain alongside Wilson.
An emerging narrative coming out of Chicago is that whilst other offers were made, they intentionally let him go to Pittsburgh at the request of his agents. Regardless, securing Fields in the first place certainly cost the Bears at the time. This new Steelers-era version of Fields will in time validate either the theory that Chicago misjudged and gave up too much to obtain him or instead that they completely fumbled on a talent who became an absolute steal for Mike Tomlin’s team.
The debate around Fields had dogged the team long before the end of last season, with deliberation around whether the Bears should move on from him and select a new QB with their first overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. His departure means it’s pretty much nailed on that the Bears will draft Caleb Williams in April as his replacement.
New locker room
Fields comes into a quarterback room in Pittsburgh which has been overhauled these last couple of weeks.
The incoming Wilson and Fields replace an outgoing trio of signal callers: Kenny Pickett has moved to the Philadelphia Eagles, Mason Rudolph is now with the Tennessee Titans and Mitchell Trubisky has joined the Buffalo Bills.
Whilst Wilson will be the starting quarterback come September, there will be serious competition between the two QBs. That could be a challenge, albeit a great learning experience, for Fields.
Look for Wilson to go all in this season though as he attempts to expunge the bad taste left in his mouth from his stint in Denver. Wilson will also turn 36 next season and is currently on a one-year contract, so a measure of success could secure him a longer-term contract with a view to rounding out his career in Pittsburgh.
It’s not just on the field that things will be different in Pittsburgh either. In the locker room, Arthur Smith has been appointed the new offensive coordinator following his three years as the Head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
Like Wilson and Fields, Smith will be looking to hush his critics after a few disappointing seasons with a former team. Feasibly, the shared urgencies to dispel their previous seasons could foster an ecosystem of determination to win built on collective frustration and resilience.
Game planning
Back in Chicago, Fields worked with Luke Getsy, the OC who has recently moved to the Las Vegas Raiders. Some reports suggest that, at least behind closed doors, the two didn’t enjoy a great relationship. Ahead of free agency, some analysts had linked Fields with the Raiders, and speculation will be whether Getsy being there either encouraged such thinking behind a potential move or even killed the idea completely.
Arguably in Pittsburgh, Fields will have more to gain from working with Smith than Wilson does. Wilson, with his wealth of experience and described egotist approach to training, might prohibit the fostering a strong relationship with another new coordinator. Fields, a decade younger than Wilson and wanting to silence the doubters, may have the capacity and desire to absorb more.
As a point of note, Smith turned down drafting Fields a few years back, having “wanting no part” according to a report by NFL Analyst Steve Wyche. Whether that was the case or not, it’s unlikely – and simply cannot be permitted – to be an issue three years on, especially as both men embrace their new roles and personal arcs of redemption.
At only 25, Fields will be wanting and needing to utilise this new opportunity. With Wilson as the starting QB, the former Ohio State Buckeye now has a chance to learn from a Super Bowl veteran and, dare say, enjoy not being the media focal point of his team’s performance week in and week out.
That said, this is the NFL and things can change in an instant so there’s every chance Fields finds himself on the field calling a play with little to no warning. With as many naysayers’ eyes on him as there will be that of his supporters, he may have less chances to prove himself if it all goes awry in that moment. Fields right now perhaps needs to be patient, but ultimately, he needs to be ready.
