Mike Tomlin reveals why Justin Fields left for the Jets ahead of his game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1
There will be a lot of chips on shoulders.
Justin Fields was never supposed to start for the Pittsburgh Steelers. If not for Russell Wilson’s calf injury suffered during a conditioning test, the first six weeks of the season likely would never have seen a 4-2 start from Justin Fields.
But it did happen, and when the Steelers replaced him with Russell Wilson, many heads were scratched. Of course, Wilson and the Steelers would go on a run, but by the end of the season, there were some calls to reinsert Fields, and a clear turn towards him after the season.
Then March hit, and Fields and the Steelers couldn’t come to terms despite reports that Fields was Pittsburgh’s preferred choice. Mike Tomlin says things went down a little differently, however, calling the decision to move on “mutual.”
Mike Tomlin, preparing for Justin Fields, calls his departure mutual
“You know, it’s free agency. It was not only our decision, it was his decision, and so it was mutual,” said Tomlin when asked Tuesday about how things ended with Fields. “There’s a lot of moving parts and free agency, and so I wouldn’t present it in a manner in which you asked.”
Make no bones about it, Fields was the Steelers’ preferred choice, and when they couldn’t come to terms, the Steelers pivoted to Aaron Rodgers. Sources tell A to Z Sports that, beyond contract numbers and duration, Fields wanted more support. Support that would have proved to him that he wouldn’t be benched again, or that the Steelers wouldn’t draft a QB in round one.
When the Steelers wouldn’t agree to said terms, Fields decided to head to New York.
“He’s stronger than most mobile quarterbacks,” Tomlin said on Tuesday when talking about the preparation for Fields. “That’s a component of his game. He’s a really talented guy. Physically, he’s not easy to bring down. He’s got a real solid base about it. He’s big, and so what might be different, I think about his unique physical skill set, but in terms of schematics, I don’t know that you know the things that they do differently from others. I think there are some global things that people do in that area.”
Fields played some of the best ball of his career with the Steelers during those six weeks. He willed the team to win against the Los Angeles Chargers, and his ball location, accuracy, and mechanics all looked improved when comparing them to his time with the Chicago Bears.
With everything in the past, both teams have a revenge factor in this game, and both quarterbacks will be looking to get one over on the other team.
We’ll see who comes out on top.
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