Justin Fields Rumors: NFL Insiders Speculate Steelers Benching over Bears Trade Terms
After a solid start to his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Justin Fields’ time as the starter could be coming to an end as soon as Sunday against the New York Jets.
Per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, there is some speculation among people around the league that the Steelers could turn to Russell Wilson in part because of the terms of their trade with the Chicago Bears for Fields.
Russini did note there’s no indication that head coach Mike Tomlin is actually using that as part of his decision-making process.
When the two teams agreed to the deal in March, the Steelers sent a conditional 2025 draft pick to Chicago. The pick is currently a sixth-rounder that could become a fourth-rounder if Fields plays at least 51 percent of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps.
Fields has been the starter for the first six games of the season in part because Wilson dealt with a calf injury that kept him inactive for the first five weeks. Wilson was active for Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he served as the backup to Fields.
The two quarterbacks have been sharing first-team reps in practice this week. Tomlin told reporters on Friday he knows who will start against the Jets, but he will “keep that in-house” until he has to make it public.
Even though the offense hasn’t been great with Fields, he has run it well enough to get them out to a 4-2 start and tied with the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North entering Week 7.
Fields has thrown for 1,106 yards, run for 231 yards and accounted for 10 touchdowns. He has only turned the ball over twice in six games, but his six fumbles are the most in the NFL.
The Steelers have only scored more than 20 points in a game twice and have put up fewer than 300 yards of total offense four times.
Wilson was named the team’s starter coming into the season before his calf injury flared up. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Week 15 of the 2023 season with the Denver Broncos. The nine-time Pro Bowler threw for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns in 15 starts last season.
