Tag: Justin Fields

Sep 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) on the field prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Steelers QB Russell Wilson (calf) questionable to play vs. Broncos

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Pittsburgh Steelers are expecting to start Justin Fields at quarterback against the Denver Broncos with Russell Wilson questionable for Sunday’s road game against his former team.

Wilson had the same status last week because of a calf injury and was inactive for the season-opening road victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

“Regarding Russell’s availability, I’m going to list him as questionable, and so obviously if his availability is questionable, then starting is less so,” Steelers coach Tomlin said Friday. “But we’ve been in that mindset all week, man. Like I’ve said, we’ve been focused on getting Justin ready to play and we’ll continue in that mindset as we push forward toward game time.”

Fields, 25, completed 73.9 percent of his passes (17 of 23) and did not commit a turnover to lead the Steelers to an 18-10 win in Week 1. Fields, a 2021 first-round draft pick whom the Steelers acquired in a March trade with the Chicago Bears, also had 57 yards on 14 carries.

Pittsburgh signed Wilson, 35, as a free agent in March after the Broncos released him despite a salary cap hit of more than $80 million over the next two seasons.

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection in 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson played 30 games (all starts) for Denver. He was announced as the Steelers’ starter but sustained a calf injury in training camp and aggravated it in practice before the season opener.

“I feel like I’m getting closer and closer,” Wilson, a limited practice participant this week, said on Thursday. “I’m just trying to be smart and got to do a lot of work today on the field and everything else, throwing and all that, so just trying to be smart.”

–Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) warms up before a preseason game against Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 24, 2024.

Justin Fields to start for Steelers as Russell Wilson ailing

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Justin Fields will start for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener in Atlanta, the team announced 90 minutes before kickoff on Sunday.

Fields got the nod against the Falcons over Russell Wilson, who was placed on the inactive list as he deals with an ongoing calf issue.

The Steelers brought in the veteran Wilson and Fields, entering his fourth season, to battle to replace the traded Kenny Pickett. Head coach Mike Tomlin named Wilson as the starter, but the training camp calf injury has slowed Wilson.

Wilson was limited in practice on both Thursday and Friday with calf tightness and was listed as questionable on the injury report.

Wilson, 35, was named to the Pro Bowl in nine of his 10 seasons (2012-21) with the Seattle Seahawks. Traded to the Denver Broncos before the 2022 season in a blockbuster deal, Wilson went 11-19 as a starter with Denver and was released earlier this year.

In 188 career starts, Wilson has posted a 115-72-1 record. He’s thrown for 43,653 yards and 334 touchdowns to go with 106 interceptions and has engineered 39 game-winning drives.

He has also rushed for 5,307 yards and added 29 touchdowns.

Fields was the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears, but Chicago decided to move on from the 25-year-old after three seasons.

He has a 10-28 record in 40 games (38 starts) and has thrown for 6,674 yards with 40 TDs and 30 interceptions. He has rushed for 2,220 yards and 14 scores.

–Field Level Media

Aug 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) and Justin Fields (2) take the field for pre-game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers QB Russell Wilson ‘hoping’ to play in opener vs. Falcons

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson remains hopeful that he’ll be under center for Sunday’s season opener against the host Atlanta Falcons.

Wilson has been limited in practice as he deals with tightness in his calf.

“Just felt a little tight. Wanted to be smart about it,” Wilson said on Friday about limiting himself in practice, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Obviously, for the game on Sunday, hoping I get to be in it. Trying to get ready to go. … Doing everything we can.”

Wilson acknowledged he didn’t tax himself too much in Friday’s session.

Fourth-year quarterback Justin Fields would get the nod if Wilson is unable to play against the Falcons.

When asked if he is preparing as if he will start on Sunday, Fields said, “I have the same process every week because I learned my rookie year how fast things can change. I remember my … rookie season, Andy Dalton, he was just running out of bounds. It looked like a normal play but he tweaked his knee. Right then and there I was in (the game). I always prepare like I’m the starter.”

Wilson, 35, was named to the Pro Bowl in nine of his 10 seasons (2012-21) with the Seattle Seahawks. Traded to the Denver Broncos before the 2022 season in a blockbuster deal, Wilson went 11-19 as a starter with Denver and was released earlier this year.

In 188 career starts, Wilson has posted a 115-72-1 record. He’s thrown for 43,653 yards and 334 touchdowns to go with 106 interceptions and has engineered 39 game-winning drives.

He has also rushed for 5,307 yards and added 29 touchdowns.

Fields was the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears, but Chicago decided to move on from the 25-year-old after three seasons.

He has a 10-28 record in 40 games (38 starts) and has thrown for 6,674 yards with 40 TDs and 30 interceptions. He has rushed for 2,220 yards and 14 scores.

–Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) ready to take the field against Detroit Lions during the first half of a preseason game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, August 24, 2024.

Steelers QB Russell Wilson limited due to calf tightness

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Justin Fields operated the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense for most of Thursday’s practice with starter Russell Wilson limited because of calf tightness, the same injury that kept him out of several days of training camp.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said there are no long-term concerns about Wilson’s health. Pittsburgh opens the regular season Sunday at Atlanta.

“We wanted to exercise some precaution,” Tomlin said, “and see what tomorrow looks like and kind of go from there.”

Tomlin said a medical evaluation would take place “out of an abundance of caution” on Friday but otherwise downplayed the injury.

“It really doesn’t” impact game planning, Tomlin said, adding “I’m extremely comfortable” if Fields is forced into action.

Expect skepticism from the Falcons. Last week, Tomlin warned Falcons head coach and former Buccaneers co-worker Raheem Morris he should “be prepared for Justin Fields.”

Morris thanked Tomlin, apparently in jest, on Wednesday for forcing him to waste time looking at how the Steelers used Fields.

Wilson is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection with the Seattle Seahawks who was released by the Denver Broncos in March. Tomlin named Wilson the team’s starter following the final preseason game last month.

Wide receiver Van Jefferson said both quarterbacks are capable of winning at Atlanta.

“Obviously Russ is a great competitor and wants to be out there. If Justin has to step out there, I think he’s more than prepared to do that,” he said.

–Field Level Media

Aug 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) and Justin Fields (2) take the field for pre-game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers name Russell Wilson starting QB over Justin Fields

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Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson will start for the Pittsburgh Steelers when they open the season Sept. 8 on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, coach Mike Tomlin announced Wednesday.

Wilson, who led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl title a decade ago, had been locked in a battle with fourth-year QB Justin Fields. While Tomlin had said for months that Wilson was the leader for the job, a calf injury Wilson sustained early in training camp gave coaches a longer look at Fields with the first team.

“I met with both quarterbacks here just a few minutes ago after practice and I informed them that Russ is QB 1 going into Week 1,” Tomlin said Wednesday. “It was a difficult decision but not difficult in a negative way. To be quite honest with you, it was difficult in a positive way. This decision was difficult because of what they’re capable of doing. The decision was difficult because of how they conducted themselves as opposed to the things that they fall short in in terms of capabilities or negative conduct.”

Veteran Kyle Allen also is on the roster and third on the depth chart.

The Steelers, seeking an upgrade from last season’s starter, Kenny Pickett, acquired both Wilson and Fields in March. Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wilson, 35, was named to the Pro Bowl in nine of his 10 seasons (2012-21) with the Seahawks. Traded to the Denver Broncos before the 2022 season in a blockbuster deal, Wilson was 11-19 as a starter with Denver and released earlier this year.

In 188 career starts, Wilson has posted a 115-72-1 record. He’s thrown for 43,653 yards and 334 touchdowns to go with 106 interceptions and has engineered 39 game-winning drives.

He has run for 5,307 yards and added 29 touchdowns.

Fields was the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Bears, but Chicago decided to move on from the 25-year-old after three seasons.

Fields, 25, has a 10-28-0 record in 40 games (38 starts) and has through for 6,674 yards with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He’s added 14 rushing scores.

–Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) finds running room against he Bills. Harris ruched for only 37 yards.

Reports: Steelers decline RB Najee Harris’ fifth-year option

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The Pittsburgh Steelers have declined to pick up the fifth-year team option for running back Najee Harris in 2025, according to multiple media reports Thursday.

Harris, 26, was projected to cost the team $6.7 million in guaranteed money. A Pro Bowl selection as a rookie in 2021, he is the first player in Steelers history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons.

Thursday was the deadline for teams to exercise fifth-year options for first-round draft picks in 2021. As expected, Pittsburgh also declined the option for quarterback Justin Fields — obtained in an offseason trade from the Chicago Bears — that would have paid him a guaranteed $25 million in 2025.

The Steelers could be waiting to see how Harris plays in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense while being open to working a new contract, according to an NFL Network report. His original rookie contract is worth $13 million over four years, including $2.4 million in 2024.

The 24th overall pick out of Alabama in 2021, Harris has started all 51 games he’s played and rushed 834 times for 3,269 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also has 144 receptions for 866 yards and six TDs.

Last season, Harris had a career-low 255 attempts for 1,035 yards, making for a career-best 4.1 yards per carry. He played a career-low 53 percent of offensive snaps in 2023, compared to 84 percent when he made the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Dec 17, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) pitches the ball to a running back against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Steelers’ Justin Fields in mix for returning kicks

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Is quarterback Justin Fields in the mix for returning kicks with the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Special teams coordinator Danny Smith has considered the unorthodox move, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren recently told teammate Cam Heyward’s “Not Just Football” podcast.

“Our special teams coordinator was talking about Justin Fields being back there,” Warren said. “We’re like hold up, hold up. We looked at him like, ‘Justin Fields is about to be back there?’ I don’t know. I think it’s cool.”

There is some logic behind the possibility, what with Fields being one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the NFL and the new “return friendly” rules changes being implemented on kickoffs this season.

Fields, 25, did not return kicks or punts in college at Georgia (2018) or Ohio State (2019-20). During three seasons in Chicago, he rushed 356 times for 2,220 yards (6.2-yard average) and 14 touchdowns.

The Steelers acquired Fields in a March trade with the Bears, in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Steelers also acquired veteran Russell Wilson this offseason with the anticipation that he will replace Kenny Pickett as the starting quarterback. Pickett was traded to the Eagles in March.

It seems unlikely that Pittsburgh would use Fields on special teams, considering the team signed return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson in free agency. Patterson, 33, holds the NFL record with nine kickoff returns for touchdowns and is the league’s active leader with 7,989 yards on kick returns.

–Field Level Media

Dec 17, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) warms up before the game between the Bears and the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Steelers won’t pick up QB Justin Fields’ option

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are passing on a team option for the 2025 season in quarterback Justin Fields’ contract, ESPN reported Thursday.

The option would have guaranteed the 2021 NFL Draft No. 11 overall pick a $25.7 million salary in 2025.

Fields, acquired from the Chicago Bears in a trade last month, has a base salary of $1.6 million for the 2024 season.

Fields, 25, is expected to back up Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh after going 10-28 as a three-year starter in Chicago.

The Steelers have until May 2 to decide on the fifth-year options for Fields as well as running back Najee Harris.

Fields has passed for 6,674 yards with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions and rushed for 2,220 yards and 14 TDs.

–Field Level Media

Jan 15, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reacts in the in the second half against the Buffalo Bills in a 2024 AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Tomlin: Russell Wilson has ‘pole position’ for Steelers’ No. 1 QB

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Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has two starter-quality quarterbacks on his roster, but only one can start.

Tomlin offered some insight Sunday on newcomers Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, Tomlin’s potential starters after the team traded Kenny Pickett.

“We’ve been very transparent about the pecking order, at least to start,” Tomlin told reporters at the NFL’s league meetings in Orlando, Fla. “I just think that provides clarity for all parties involved.”

That clarity indicates Wilson, 35, has the inside track after a roller-coaster two years with the Denver Broncos.

“Russell is a veteran, man,” Tomlin said. “He’s got a proven process of readiness. He’s been in this league a long time, and he’s capable of rallying troops, receivers, tight ends and running backs.”

Tomlin said Wilson, who reached two Super Bowls with the Seattle Seahawks, winning one, has a grasp of how to cultivate leadership over an extended amount of time — something that will provide a benefit for Fields as the quarterbacks “do some of the informal things at this time of the year.”

Fields, 25, threw for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 games last season for the Chicago Bears. He added 657 rushing yards and four scores.

He was traded to the Steelers this offseason in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2025 that could become a fourth-rounder if certain parameters are met.

Tomlin stopped short of calling Wilson his Week 1 starter.

“Rest assured, when it’s time to compete, Justin will (be) given an opportunity to compete,” he said, “and we’ll allow those guys to sort themselves out. But I thought it was appropriate to describe it in a way for when we get started. Russell’s in pole position, and I think his body of work justifies that.

“And just from my conversations with Justin, he is excited about working alongside Russell and learning some of those veteran tricks of the trade from … a guy who has been around for over a decade.”

The Steelers finished 10-7 last season, losing 31-17 to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card playoff round.

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) throws a pass during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers QB Justin Fields ‘ready for this next chapter’

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Justin Fields said goodbye to Chicago following his trade from the Bears to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.

“Can’t say thank you enough to the city of Chicago for taking me in and embracing me,” Fields posted on social media. “Thank you to the entire Bears organization and ownership for allowing me the opportunity to be part of such a historic franchise. But most of all thank you to my all my brothers that I played with. You all were the reason I attacked each day the way I did. I can’t thank you all enough for what y’all have meant to me over the last 3 years through the ups and downs. I wish each one of you nothing but success. Ready for this next chapter!”

The next chapter apparently will be as the backup to veteran quarterback Russell Wilson. The Steelers have seen an overhaul of their quarterback room, with Wilson signing a one-year deal, former starter Kenny Pickett being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, Mitchell Trubisky returning to the Buffalo Bills, longtime backup Mason Rudolph signing as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans and the acquisition of Fields for a conditional sixth-round draft pick.

That pick could become a fourth-rounder if Fields plays at least 50 percent of the snaps for Pittsburgh.

Reports Sunday indicated Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reached out to both Wilson and Fields as the deal was closed on Saturday to let them know Wilson currently stands as the starter and Fields as QB2.

For his part, Wilson welcomed Fields on social media.

“Let’s get it @justnfields! QB room bout to be (three fire emojis),” he wrote.

Only 25, Fields threw for 2,562 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 starts in 2023.

He completed 61.4 percent of his throws and rushed for 657 yards and four touchdowns. Fields suffered a right thumb injury and missed four games last season for the 7-10 Bears.

The Bears selected him No. 11 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The deal opens the door for Chicago to draft a quarterback, widely expected to be Southern California’s Caleb Williams, with the No. 1 overall selection.

–Field Level Media