Justin Fields Is Now Part Of Wild Conspiracy Theory In Pittsburgh

Going into training camp, most in and around the Pittsburgh Steelers felt the starting quarterback job belonged to Russell Wilson. Head coach Mike Tomlin insisted Justin Fields would be given a fair shot to compete for it, but behind closed doors, there was little chance he would overtake the seven-time Pro Bowler. Then, over the past week, things took a shift. Wilson sat out of practice with a calf injury. In his place, Fields seemed to play really well in practice. Buzz was building that the former Chicago Bears 1st round pick might have enough momentum to steal the job.

As it turns out, the entire situation may have been staged. Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh hosted Mark Kaboly, a Steelers beat writer for The Athletic, on his show. When discussing the quarterback situation, Kaboly put forward the idea that Pittsburgh intentionally held Wilson back from returning so as to get a better evaluation of Fields.

"You pretend like your starting quarterback had a calf injury that kept him out for three weeks. I’m not saying he’s pretending; I’m just saying he could have been out there sooner."

Once Fields had his up-and-down performance in the preseason opener last week, including two fumbles and a pair of sacks, Wilson returned to practice immediately. Apparently, the Steelers had seen enough.

Justin Fields appears to have blown his chance.

Whatever positive momentum he had seems to have fizzled. He did nothing against the Houston Texans to suggest he's changed from the player he was in Chicago. The quarterback could still make some truly impressive throws. He's still a great athlete. However, his inability to protect the football or avoid unnecessary sacks remains. This came despite considerable changes to his operation during the summer, having him go back to the same stance and footwork he used at Ohio State.

They say a leopard can't change his spots. In this case, Justin Fields might be who he is. He's talented enough to be a dual-threat starter in the NFL, but if you expect to compete for a championship, he isn't the guy you want under center. Fields is too casual with the football, isn't precise enough as a pocket passer, and leaves himself open to way too many hits. Pittsburgh intentionally holding back Wilson from returning likely confirms they knew this already but wanted to be certain.