PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It definitely wasn’t a surprise for fourth-year quarterback Justin Fields that he got traded to the Steelers. He said he asked the Bears to come here. In his first Organized Team Activity on the South Side, Fields discussed joining the Steelers, his opportunity, how he’s better now than with Chicago and his run-ins with people in Pittsburgh.
The 25-year-old said he had mixed emotions leaving. He was reading the body language from Bears coaches and executives and knew something was going to happen. He said his agent and the team worked to honor his wish to come to Pittsburgh.
Fields immediately spoke to the culture, a strong defense and Mike Tomlin as reasons he wanted to come to the Steelers. On day one, he said Tomlin didn’t disappoint. He said just listening to him in his first team meeting, he might already be the best coach he’s every been with. He said Tomlin was straight up and honest with him.
That doesn’t mean he’s just going to accept being the back-up quarterback after 38 starts in three seasons in Chicago.
“I'm taking it day by day,” Fields said Tuesday. “I'm definitely, you know, competing. I think Russ knows that. We're competing against each other every day. Him being out there for me, that helps me get better, us pushing each other. I definitely don't have the mindset of me just sitting all year.”
It’s one day of voluntary workouts and Fields said he and Russell Wilson are pushing each other. Wilson said a similar thing on Tuesday right before Fields talked. Fields said he met Wilson when he was at Ohio State. He’s impressed with how hard the 35-year-old Super Bowl champion works, what he has accomplished and his detail in every individual drill.
“I just gotta keep working hard every day, being detailed every day and not taking a day off,” Fields said. “And, it's good having Russell. You're learning from him and each other each and every day. So, I think I’m just controlling what I can control every time I step on the field, just ball out, play to the best of my abilities and, you know, let God handle the rest.”
Fields said he wasn’t worried about Wilson already being with the Steelers before they traded for him. It was more about joining the organization than being worried who the other quarterbacks would be. He also thinks he, and likely Wilson to, have an advantage in that all are learning a new offense.
“So, nobody really has been in the offense before,” Fields said. “But, I mean, there's a lot of young guys on the team. So, I think just that fact right there, it's easier to communicate with people and kind of just build that relationship because you have so much in common already. I've already, hung out with the handful of guys on the team already built those relationships. And we're just going to continue to grow with each other. And, you know, I'm ready to play in the season.”
Fields said he’s not the same quarterback that he was last year or even a day ago. He says he’s getting better each and every day and believes that will be helped by the new quarterback coach Tom Arth and he appreciates how meticulous offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is with details of the new Steelers offense. He said Smith has worked with Ryan Tannehill, Marcus Mariota and others and knows how to play to his players’ strengths. Fields said he already trusts Smith to put players in the right spots.
The Georgia native also has had good experiences in limited time in the community.
“I think Pittsburgh has a lot of nice people,” Fields said. “That's one thing I've noticed. Like I've taken a few Ubers to the airport and I've had full 30-minute conversations with the Uber driver.”
“Just people, you know, their generosity, their niceness. I'm going out. People don't even know who I am. They're just being so nice to me. So I think that's one thing I noticed. And then I started going on walks, just the different views of the city, the bridges, stuff like that. It is pretty cool.”
Fields said he views being with the Steelers as not only having a new home, but a chance to start. Let’s see how this plays out.