The Chicago Bears knew a change was necessary at quarterback. GM Ryan Poles wanted to find somebody that fit his vision for the organization. To do that, the first step was settling the Justin Fields question. That meant finding the embattled quarterback a new home. Poles could've sent him anywhere. Merely take the highest offer on the trade market. However, the GM tried to be accommodating, sending Fields somewhere he'd have a good chance to grow and get a genuine opportunity to start again. That process landed him with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Expectations were he'd compete with veteran Russell Wilson for the starting job. However, recent accounts suggest the Steelers might not be taking that idea seriously. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cam Heyward has a podcast called Not Just Football, where he had teammate Jaylen Warren on as a guest. It was there that the running back dropped a small bombshell. Apparently, the Steelers are considering Fields for their kick returner role following the new NFL rule changes.
One can safely say the quarterback didn't have that in mind when he greenlit the trade two months ago.
That development paints a clear picture for Justin Fields.
Pittsburgh doesn't consider him a real threat to Wilson for the quarterback job. There is no way in hell the team would put their starting quarterback on kick returns and risk injuries if they thought Fields had any chance of winning such a competition. Wilson was always going to be a starter. Fields was always going to be his backup. Pittsburgh will say differently. "This is a genuine competition." Blah, blah, blah. Actions speak louder than words. Considering Fields for return duties proves they have no intention of getting him anywhere near the starting job.
That is a sad development. Nobody worked harder to improve his game last year in Chicago than Justin Fields. If he weren't so late into his rookie contract, the Bears might've given him another season. Sadly, obtaining the #1 pick and his expiring deal made their decision clear. Now he's ironically found himself in the exact same situation as another former Bears 1st round quarterback: a Steelers backup. Granted, his odds of unseating Wilson were never great. The gap between the two was considerable. Still, one would think Pittsburgh would be less obvious about it.
