Fields completed 11-of-17 passes for 92 yards in Saturday's 9-3 preseason loss to the Bills. He added eight rushes for 42 yards. Fields followed Russell Wilson into the game and got his first series just before the two-minute warning in the first half. He worked with the second-team offense but led the team to field-goal range on his second possession on a drive that began with just over one minute remaining in the second quarter. Fields accounted for the biggest gain on the drive with a 20-yard scramble. In terms of passing, Fields primarily worked in the short areas of the field, though he did experience more success than Wilson from a statistical standpoint. He'll almost certainly see playing time in the Steelers' third preseason game at Detroit, though it remains to be seen if he gets the starting nod over Wilson as the quarterback competition remains unresolved in Pittsburgh.
Unlock the latest Pittsburgh Steelers news — direct to your inbox.
Status
ACTIVELatest Justin Fields news
Career History
Fields completed 11-of-17 passes for 92 yards in Saturday's 9-3 preseason loss to the Bills. He added eight rushes for 42 yards. Fields followed Russell Wilson into the game and got his first series just before the two-minute warning in the first half. He worked with the second-team offense but led the team to field-goal range on his second possession on a drive that began with just over one minute remaining in the second quarter. Fields accounted for the biggest gain on the drive with a 20-yard scramble. In terms of passing, Fields primarily worked in the short areas of the field, though he did experience more success than Wilson from a statistical standpoint. He'll almost certainly see playing time in the Steelers' third preseason game at Detroit, though it remains to be seen if he gets the starting nod over Wilson as the quarterback competition remains unresolved in Pittsburgh.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that Russell Wilson will start Saturday's preseason game against the Bills, leaving Fields in position to enter the contest second, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports. Tomlin said he expects Pittsburgh's starters to play roughly four series Saturday, per Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com, which could leave Fields to work with the second-team offense. Though Wilson will start in his preseason debut and still seems to be atop the quarterback depth chart, Fields remains part of an ongoing competition under center. Pryor reports that Fields opened Thursday's practice with the first-team offense. After fumbling twice versus the Texans last week, it will benefit Fields if he's able to play mistake-free football against Buffalo on Saturday.
Fields completed five of six passes for 67 yards, rushed three times for two yards and had two fumbles, both recovered by his own team, in Friday's 20-12 preseason loss to the Texans. Fields got the start and played the first quarter with Pittsburgh's first-team offense while Russell Wilson was held out after recently battling a calf injury. Wilson remains the frontrunner in Pittsburgh's quarterback competition, and Fields didn't make a convincing case to change that narrative, as he failed to lead the offense to any points and put the ball on the ground twice. Fields will try to rebound and make up some ground on Wilson in next Saturday's preseason game against the Bills.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday that Fields and the first-team offense will probably play a couple of drives in Friday's preseason game against Houston, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports. Fellow quarterback Russell Wilson won't play despite returning to full practice participation Tuesday, with Tomlin noting that the 35-year-old still has so-called pole position for the Week 1 start, as reflected by Pittsburgh's initial preseason depth chart, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. Fields may still be an underdog, but he's getting plenty of opportunities to make an impression and gain ground on Wilson thanks to the calf injury that limited Wilson for the first two weeks of training camp.
Fields has impressed early in training camp and is still attempting to make a case for the starting quarterback job, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports. Fields has seen increased work with the first-team offense over the first few days of training camp since Russell Wilson has been hampered by a calf injury. While coach Mike Tomlin recently said that Wilson continues to have "pole position" in the quarterback competition, Fields has posed a challenge for Pittsburgh's defense through his versatility as a passer and runner. While Wilson remains the favorite to start with just over a month remaining until the regular season, Fields should continue to have the chance to compete for the job during preseason action.
Fields is getting regular first-team reps while Russell Wilson misses a few days of practice with a calf injury, ESPN's Brooke Pryor reports. Wilson first noticed calf tightness Thursday morning and has since been limited to observer status in back-to-back practices. He reportedly wanted to participate but was held back by the coaching staff, which suggests it isn't a major injury and the 35-year-old will be back in action soon enough. Coach Mike Tomlin said "nothing has changed" in regard to Wilson having "pole position" for the Week 1 start, but this at least gives Fields the opportunity to take more reps with the players he'll be throwing to if he ends up under center at some point in-season. Tomlin declined to elaborate on a plan for dividing first-team QB reps once Wilson returns to practice.
The Steelers aren't expected to pick up the fifth-year option on Fields' rookie contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. It perhaps goes without saying, given that Fields is coming in as the second QB on the depth chart and would be guaranteed around $25.66 million in 2025 if the Steelers were to pick up his option before the May 2 deadline. While the team may have interest in keeping him around beyond the upcoming season, it won't be at that price before he's ever put on a Steelers uniform. Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports that fellow offseason acquisition Russell Wilson will enter offseason workouts in "pole position" at quarterback, with Fields then getting a chance to compete at some point in the future, according to coach Mike Tomlin. Fields is on track to be a free agent next spring, and his playing time between now and then seems largely dependent on Wilson struggling.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that Fields "will be given an opportunity to show his capabilities" even though Russell Wilson "has pole position" to be the starting quarterback, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. It's still not quite clear if the Steelers' two new quarterbacks will compete for the starting job this spring/summer, as Tomlin's comments could also be interpreted as a suggestion that Wilson will be the No. 1 but without any assurances of staying in the spot if he struggles in practice (and eventually games). Reports shortly after Fields was traded suggested he'd be coming in as a clear backup, though it's probably worth noting that the QB-related reporting out of Pittsburgh this offseason has been rather unreliable. In any case, the team did well to acquire Wilson on a one-year, $1.21 million contract, later adding Fields in exchange for a sixth-round pick (that can become a fourth-rounder if he plays more than half the snaps in 2024). Neither QB is signed beyond the upcoming season, and the Steelers are unlikely to pick up the fifth-year option on Fields' rookie contract before the May 2 deadline.
Fields, whom the Steelers acquired from the Bears on Saturday in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick, isn't expected to compete for Pittsburgh's starting quarterback job and is line to serve as a backup to Russell Wilson during the 2024 season, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports. Though Fields is due a larger salary in the final year of his rookie deal in 2024 than Wilson will earn on his one-year, $1.21 million contract, the Steelers are inclined to have Fields learn from Wilson rather than looking for the 25-year-old to directly challenge the nine-time Pro Bowler for the top spot on the depth chart. While Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that the Steelers are expected to decline Fields' pricey $25.66 million player option for 2025 prior to the May 2 deadline to do so, such a move wouldn't necessarily preclude Pittsburgh from re-signing the signal-caller next offseason if they're satisfied with his work in practices or in any action he might see in place of Wilson during his first season in the organization. Given that the 2025 sixth-round pick the Steelers gave up to acquire Fields would turn into a fourth-round pick if he plays more than 51 percent of the team's snaps this season, Pittsburgh has some extra incentive to stay committed to Wilson, at least for the early part of the campaign. Fields' fantasy outlook could brighten in 2025 if the Steelers commit to him as a starter or if he lands a more favorable opportunity elsewhere in free agency next spring, but at least for the upcoming season, he doesn't look as though he'll be anything more than a luxury stash in most redraft leagues.