Pittsburgh Steelers Stock Watch: Justin Fields squanders a golden opportunity to win QB competition
The Pittsburgh Steelers were off on Monday following a busy four-day opening to training camp. When they return on Tuesday, real football begins as the team practices in pads for the first time since January. But before they do, here are three players who need to bounce back after Week 1 of camp. QB Justin […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers were off on Monday following a busy four-day opening to training camp.
When they return on Tuesday, real football begins as the team practices in pads for the first time since January.
But before they do, here are three players who need to bounce back after Week 1 of camp.
QB Justin Fields
It went from being a surprise that Fields was getting first-team reps, to all but a given after listening to Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson describe the caution they would have with Wilson's calf injury.
So with an opportunity to push Wilson once he returns, Fields was up and down at best. Nearly every day, he was inconsistent, but especially on Sunday when he dominated "Seven Shots" but threw one interception during team period and should have had another if it wasn't dropped.
The dynamic plays have been there for Fields, there is no debating that. He's gotten out of the pocket and scrambled for big gains, and he's thrown the ball on a string to score touchdowns.
But to be a starter, especially with how the Steelers want to play football, you have to be consistent down-in and down-out.
So whether it's accuracy, processing, or decision-making, Fields simply hasn't shown that consistency to this point, setting up Russell Wilson to return and with control of the first team reps.
WR Calvin Austin
Austin was a tricky one to evaluate after Week 1 of camp and is part of the reason why this is titled as players who need to bounce back as opposed to "losers" or "fallers."
Austin was targeted often, and he made the most of those chances, even scoring a TD during "Seven Shots." The problem for Austin however, is who else is in the WR room.
Rookie Roman Wilson announced his presence on Saturday, catching everything in sight and even generating first-team reps in 11 vs. 11 periods, taking over Austin's starting slot WR role.
So we have a real battle on our hands, and I'm sure Austin is embracing it. But for at least the time being, he's anything but solidified as the starter. The competition will really ramp up starting Tuesday.
CB Kalon Barnes
Barnes was running with the second-team defense, a big opportunity for a player who has bounced around early in his playing career. But with Cory Trice yet to participate in team drills, Barnes was unable to seize the opportunity over the weekend, struggling to cover players at times and dropping what should have been an easy interception.
We'll see if he, Austin, and Fields can bounce back when the pads come on.
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