NFL Analysis
3/16/24
5 min read
Justin Fields Trade a Home Run for Steelers, Mike Tomlin
The Pittsburgh Steelers have completely overturned their quarterback room this offseason, trading Kenny Pickett and watching Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky depart in free agency. It's impossible to blame them for chasing new options, considering the position has been an absolute disaster since Ben Roethlisberger retired at the end of the 2021 season. Their offense ranked 26th and 28th in scoring in the last two years.
Part of the change was firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada and replacing him with Arthur Smith. Smith, who was let go by the Atlanta Falcons earlier this offseason, returns to a role he excelled at in Tennessee. The Steelers didn't take long to add quarterbacks who fit his system.
Nowhere Else To Go
Days after signing Russell Wilson for the veteran minimum, the Steelers stole Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears for a 2025 sixth-round pick that could become a fourth-round pick if he hits play-time benchmarks. Numerous NFL insiders predicted Fields would be traded for at least one Day 2 pick this offseason, so seeing him dealt for so little has to be jarring for Bears fans. But the Steelers wisely waited to strike on Fields until the Bears lost all leverage.
This was the landing spot to me all along for Justin Fields. This is a tremendous trade for the Steelers, Fields has tremendous upside, and this is a very small risk from the team standpoint. Pittsburgh has done a tremendous job of transforming their quarterback room between… https://t.co/d4KumJhSnj
— Mike Tannenbaum (@RealTannenbaum) March 16, 2024
The quarterback dominoes fell perfectly to tank Fields' value. The 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has had a rocky road, but it's hard to separate his surrounding cast from his shortcomings. Ultimatley, Chicago had already passed on C.J. Stroud to stick with Fields, and passing on Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL Draft was going to be impossible.
After free agency began, Kirk Cousins quickly signed in Atlanta, taking a natural fit off the board. Sam Darnold went to Minnesota, and Las Vegas signed Gardner Minshew instead of pairing Fields with Luke Getsy again. Denver is the only team looking for a starter right now.
Fields has completed only 60.3 percent of his attempts for 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions in his career. He's added 2,220 yards and 14 scores on the ground.
Despite his exciting rushing ability, lack of consistency and linear development, and the rare opportunity to draft first overall in a loaded QB class, the Bears' hand was forced as Fields entered the final guaranteed year of his contract.
Dream Landing Spot
In many ways, Pittsburgh is the perfect landing spot for Fields to develop. Coach Mike Tomlin is as secure in his job as any coach not named Andy Reid, and the franchise's stability is the model every owner dreams of creating when making a regime change. From an organizational standpoint, going from Chicago to Pittsburgh is an unbelievable leap.
Because Pittsburgh gave up so little for Wilson and Fields, they can host an open competition without fear of ramifications if neither works out. Given that Pickett wanted out, Wilson will likely start immediately because the veteran was guaranteed the job. Fields will now be eased into a new offense that is rebuilding instead of being pressured into showing stardom in a contract year.
The Steelers will bring Fields along like he should've been in the first place. Even for someone who was a big fan of Fields in college and thinks the Bears' inability to build a solid surrounding cast until this offseason, it's undeniable to say Fields needs time. His advanced passing metrics are disastrous, he struggles to throw in the offense's rhythm, and his accuracy and field vision are inconsistent.
Can the organization's stability, Wilson's ability to relate to Fields as someone who hunts big plays instead of executing a structured, timing-based scheme and Smith's playcalling tendencies be enough?
It needs to be, for Fields' sake. The Steelers don't have an elite cast of playmakers, but they're tough-nosed on defense and only need competence from the offense.
Wilson was bad enough in Denver for the franchise to release him before his $245 million extension kicked in, but the Steelers made the playoffs last year with a worse QB. Considering Smith has generated an offense that finished 15th or better in points scored in three of his five years as the playcaller and knows how to mitigate a limited passer, this is a good situation for Wilson and Fields.
Desmond Ridder ranked sixth in play-action pass attempts last year despite starting only 13 games, compared to Fields' 23rd ranking. Ridder only scrambled 19 times under pressure, whereas Fields ran 43 times, ranking fifth. Smith famously didn't feature Kyle Pitts enough in Atlanta, but he was working with someone more flawed than Fields.
Four years after Smith passed on Fields with the fourth overall pick to select Pitts, he'll get to coach him. Fields, almost always the best athlete on the field, must learn the game's intricacies to succeed. That starts with professionalism from mentors and peers, which didn't exist in Chicago.
The same can't be said of Pittsburgh's ecosystem. It's ideal for Fields to blossom into a star eventually, or we'll get confirmation that he can't reach his perceived potential if he doesn't improve by the end of 2025.
