Justin Fields will have chance to compete for starting job with Steelers
Everyone knew the Chicago Bears were going to trade quarterback Justin Fields. The Pittsburgh Steelers made a lot of sense early in the offseason, but many people thought they took themselves out of the mix when they landed Russell Wilson. Still, Pittsburgh made a move to land Fields.
Now, the Steelers have two guys who believe they can be NFL starters. One is young and hasn’t proven much anything but has a ton of talent. The other is on the back nine of his career but has been a Super Bowl champion elite quarterback for a long time.
You’d think right off the bat that Wilson was guaranteed to be the starter. However, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin indicated there will be competition — even though Wilson is currently sitting in the pole position.
“When it’s time to compete, we get in training camp-like settings and go to preseason stadiums and so forth, obviously Justin will be given an opportunity that shows his capabilities,” Tomlin said at the NFL owners meetings Monday.
Tomlin said Fields “oozes talent and potential” and is going to be allowed to show what he has. In a system that should fit what he is looking to do as a quarterback, Fields may take that next step we’ve all been waiting to see. He is talented, but the Bears were unable to turn him into a great quarterback. Maybe Tomlin can.
If Fields does win the starting job and plays in 51 percent of the snaps this season, the conditional sixth-round pick that the Bears received for him will become a fourth rounder. It would also be nice to see him find some success in his new football home. Fields has worked hard and deserves this chance to compete.
