Fields completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 18-10 win over the Falcons. He added 14 rushes for 57 yards.
Fields drew the start and made his Steelers debut with Russell Wilson (calf) sidelined. The team was very run-heavy, particularly in the second half as Fields took to the air only 10 times in the final two quarters. While it was clear that Pittsburgh was running a conservative offensive gameplan, Fields did show the ability to connect with George Pickens for explosive plays, as the duo hooked up for big gains of 40 and 33 yards. He also utilized his legs effectively, despite his longest rush going for only 12 yards. Pittsburgh's plans under center are once again murky, though Wilson's first step toward regaining the role will have to be increasing his practice activity.
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Steelers' Justin Fields: Drawing Week 1 start
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Fields will start at quarterback in Sunday's game against the Falcons, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Russell Wilson was named the Steelers' starter coming out of the preseason, but he'll be inactive as the third quarterback for the season opener after he picked up a calf injury Thursday and was limited in practice Friday as a result. Though Wilson remained hopeful to play after being listed questionable heading into Sunday, the Steelers are choosing to exercise caution with the veteran signal-caller, opening the door for Fields to start in what will be his Pittsburgh debut. During his previous three seasons with the Bears, Fields was a viable fantasy starter due to his dual-threat abilities, but poor accuracy, turnover issues and a penchant for taking sacks rendered him less valuable from a real-life standpoint. He could be a worthwhile lineup option in Week 1 -- especially in superflex formats or leagues that start two quarterbacks -- but Fields could be headed back to the bench as soon as Week 2 in Denver with Wilson's calf injury seemingly viewed as a short-term concern.
Fields is considered "more likely" than Russell Wilson (calf) to start Sunday's season opener versus the Falcons, though the Steelers won't make a decision on a starter until Wilson gets examined early Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The Steelers named Wilson their starting quarterback following the preseason, but the nine-time Pro Bowler experienced calf tightness this week and was limited in practices Thursday and Friday, making his status for the opener murky. Though Wilson has informed the coaching staff that he thinks he can play through the injury, a decision on his status will likely sit in the hands of the team's training staff. Pittsburgh has a third quarterback on the roster in Kyle Allen, who would be in store for backup duties behind Fields if the Steelers choose to make Wilson inactive ahead of the game's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. While battling Wilson for the starting job during the preseason, Fields suited up for all three of the Steelers' exhibition tilts and completed 19 of 27 pass attempts for 199 yards while taking five sacks and carrying 13 times for 48 yards and fumbling four times (losing none).
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Steelers' Justin Fields: May need to fill in for Wilson
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With Russell Wilson dealing with a calf injury, Fields relayed that he took first-team reps during team periods in Friday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports.
Wilson, who had previously been named the Steelers' starting quarterback, was very limited during Friday's session, per Pryor and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's season opener against the Falcons. While Wilson has expressed a degree of optimism regarding his Week 1 status, if he ends up not being ready to face Atlanta, Fields would be in line to start in his place.
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Steelers' Justin Fields: Likely backup for Week 1
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Fields completed three of his four passes for 40 yards in Saturday's 24-17 preseason loss to the Lions. He added two rushes for four yards.
Fields took over the offense after one drive in relief of Russell Wilson. As has been the case for much of preseason and training camp, his performance was a mixed bag. He looked accurate in the middle and short areas of the field and led a scoring drive, but he also took two sacks and had a missed exchange on a snap. Coach Mike Tomlin declined to name a starting quarterback after the game, but usage in the last two weeks suggests that Fields will begin the season as the backup to Wilson.
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Steelers' Justin Fields: Two fumbles in Steelers debut
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Fields completed five of six passes for 67 yards, rushed three times for two yards and had two fumbles, both recovered by his own team, in Friday's 20-12 preseason loss to the Texans.
Fields got the start and played the first quarter with Pittsburgh's first-team offense while Russell Wilson was held out after recently battling a calf injury. Wilson remains the frontrunner in Pittsburgh's quarterback competition, and Fields didn't make a convincing case to change that narrative, as he failed to lead the offense to any points and put the ball on the ground twice. Fields will try to rebound and make up some ground on Wilson in next Saturday's preseason game against the Bills.
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Steelers' Justin Fields: On track for preseason start
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Head coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday that Fields and the first-team offense will likely play a couple of drives in Friday's preseason game against Houston, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.
Fellow quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) won't play despite returning to full practice participation Tuesday, with Tomlin noting that the 35-year-old is still in the driver's seat for the Week 1 start, as reflected by Pittsburgh's initial preseason depth chart, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. Fields may still be an underdog for the starting quarterback job, but he's getting plenty of opportunities to make an impression and gain ground on Wilson thanks to the calf injury that limited Wilson for the first two weeks of training camp.
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Steelers' Justin Fields: Impressing at training camp
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Fields has impressed early in training camp and is still attempting to make a case for the starting quarterback job, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports.
Fields has seen increased work with the first-team offense over the first few days of training camp since Russell Wilson has been hampered by a calf injury. While coach Mike Tomlin recently said that Wilson continues to have "pole position" in the quarterback competition, Fields has posed a challenge for Pittsburgh's defense through his versatility as a passer and runner. While Wilson remains the favorite to start with just over a month remaining until the regular season, Fields should continue to have the chance to compete for the job during preseason action.
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Steelers' Justin Fields: Working with starters sans Wilson
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Fields is getting regular first-team reps while Russell Wilson misses a few days of practice with a calf injury, ESPN's Brooke Pryor reports.
Wilson first noticed calf tightness Thursday morning and has since been limited to observer status in back-to-back practices. He reportedly wanted to participate but was held back by the coaching staff, which suggests it isn't a major injury and the 35-year-old will be back in action soon enough. Coach Mike Tomlin said "nothing has changed" in regard to Wilson having "pole position" for the Week 1 start, but this at least gives Fields the opportunity to take more reps with the players he'll be throwing to if he ends up under center at some point in-season. Tomlin declined to elaborate on a plan for dividing first-team QB reps once Wilson returns to practice.
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Steelers' Justin Fields: Chance to compete for QB1 job?
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Coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that Fields "will be given an opportunity to show his capabilities" even though Russell Wilson "has pole position" to be Pittsburgh's starting quarterback in 2024, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
It's still not quite clear if the Steelers' two new quarterbacks will compete for the starting job this spring/summer, as Tomlin's comments also could be interpreted as a suggestion that Wilson will be the No. 1 but without any assurances of staying in the spot if he struggles in practice (and eventually games). Reports shortly after Fields was traded suggested he'd be coming in as a clear backup, though it's probably worth noting that the QB-related reporting out of Pittsburgh this offseason has been rather unreliable. In any case, the team did well to acquire Wilson on a one-year, $1.21 million contract, later adding Fields in exchange for a sixth-round pick (that can become a fourth-rounder if he plays more than half the snaps in 2024). Neither QB is signed beyond the upcoming season, and the Steelers are unlikely to pick up the fifth-year option on Fields' rookie contract before the May 2 deadline.
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Steelers' Justin Fields: Viewed as backup to Russell Wilson
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Fields, whom the Steelers acquired from the Bears on Saturday in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick, isn't expected to compete for Pittsburgh's starting quarterback job and is line to serve as a backup to Russell Wilson during the 2024 season, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Though Fields is due a larger salary in the final year of his rookie deal in 2024 than Wilson will earn on his one-year, $1.21 million contract, the Steelers are inclined to have Fields learn from Wilson rather than looking for the 25-year-old to directly challenge the nine-time Pro Bowler for the top spot on the depth chart. While Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that the Steelers are expected to decline Fields' pricey $25.66 million player option for 2025 prior to the May 2 deadline to do so, such a move wouldn't necessarily preclude Pittsburgh from re-signing the signal-caller next offseason if they're satisfied with his work in practices or in any action he might see in place of Wilson during his first season in the organization. Given that the 2025 sixth-round pick the Steelers gave up to acquire Fields would turn into a fourth-round pick if he plays more than 51 percent of the team's snaps this season, Pittsburgh has some extra incentive to stay committed to Wilson, at least for the early part of the campaign. Fields' fantasy outlook could brighten in 2025 if the Steelers commit to him as a starter or if he lands a more favorable opportunity elsewhere in free agency next spring, but at least for the upcoming season, he doesn't look as though he'll be anything more than a luxury stash in most redraft leagues.
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Steelers' Justin Fields: Traded to Pittsburgh
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The Steelers acquired Fields from the Bears on Saturday in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
According to Schefter, the 2025 pick can become a fourth-round pick if Fields reaches an unspecified playing-time threshold with the Steelers in 2024. The trade sets up an interesting quarterback situation for the Steelers, who signed Russell Wilson to a low-cost one-year deal in free agency after he was waived by the Broncos earlier in the week. The Bears, meanwhile, have cleared the deck to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which in all likelihood will be USC's Caleb Williams.
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Bears' Justin Fields: Wants word on future soon
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Fields said Wednesday during his appearance on the "St. Brown Bros Podcast" that he prefers to stays in Chicago but wants to know if he's getting traded as soon as possible.
Fields downplayed his recent decision to unfollow the Bears' official account on Instagram, noting that he also unfollowed other accounts (including the NFL's) to avoid having football content on his timeline during the offseason. He had nothing but praise for Bears fans and the city of Chicago, but Fields also seemed well aware of the possibility of being replaced by the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Talking with teammate Equanimeous St. Brown and Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown on their podcast, Fields mentioned a couple of the teams rumored to have interest in trading for him, saying that the Steelers have a great stadium atmosphere and the Falcons have impressive playmakers on offense. Atlanta is the early favorite in betting markets to acquire the Georgia native, with other possibilities including Pittsburgh, New England, Las Vegas and Denver. Despite Fields' desire for a quick resolution on his future, the Bears' decision on whether to keep him on the roster for 2024 or work toward a trade could drag on for weeks, or even months.
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Bears' Justin Fields: Ends season on low note
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Fields completed 11 of 16 passes for 148 yards while adding 27 yards on four rushing attempts in the Bears' 17-9 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Aside from a hot streak in Weeks 4 and 5 when Fields threw eight touchdown passes, he failed to throw more than one scoring strike in any of his other 10 starts. In 13 games played, he passed for 2,562 yards with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Fields also rushed 120 times for 657 yards and four scores. Chicago will need to make some decisions this offseason in regards to their quarterback. First, the franchise has the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, so they can choose to start over at the position or go with Fields. Also, the team will need to decide whether to pick up the quarterback's fifth-year option.
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Bears' Justin Fields: QBs to Start
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Fields has made things tough on the Bears front office since Chicago owns the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. He's played great down the stretch -- in Fantasy and reality -- and earned the right to be the Bears quarterback in 2024. He's scored at least 26.5 Fantasy points in three of his past four games, including two in a row, and he should have another standout performance in Week 18 against the Packers. Two of the past three quarterbacks against Green Bay have scored at least 26.2 Fantasy points, and Fields should follow suit. He's got top-five upside in Week 18.
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Bears' Justin Fields: Over 300 total yards in win
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Fields completed 20 of 32 passes for 268 yards for one touchdown and no interceptions and rushed 11 times for 45 yards and another score in the Bears' 37-17 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
Fields took three sacks but otherwise enjoyed a strong day day from a fantasy standpoint. The mobile signal-caller had several productive runs, and he posted his passing yardage total since Week 5. Fields also threw a touchdown pass for the fourth consecutive contest, connecting with DJ Moore for a seven-yard score in the first quarter. There's some uncertainty surrounding Fields' future in Chicago, but he'll look to put a strong final performance together this season in the Week 18 finale against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
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Bears' Justin Fields: Totals two TDs on Sunday
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Fields completed 15 of 27 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception and also rushed nine times for 97 yards and another TD during Sunday's 27-16 victory against the Cardinals.
Fields opened the scoring with a three-yard touchdown run in the middle of the first quarter and later connected with veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis for a one-yard TD pass in the second quarter to give the Bears a 21-0 lead. He's now recorded scores through both the air and ground three times in 11 appearances this season. On the other hand, Fields' pick occurred in the red zone in a 24-16 game in the fourth quarter, giving him turnovers in eight different games. Tight end Cole Kmet (4-107-0 on five targets Sunday) exited early due to a knee injury, and DJ Moore (3-18-0 on six targets) gutted through a right-ankle issue, so the health of two of the top skill-position players available to Chicago's offense may be compromised in the team's next game Sunday, Dec. 31 versus the Falcons.
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Bears' Justin Fields: QBs to Start
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Fields' stat line at Cleveland in Week 15 was bad with 19-of-40 completions for 166 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and he only rushed for 30 yards. But he could have had a better day than just 11.6 Fantasy points. Both of his interceptions came on Hail Mary plays at the end of each half, and Darnell Mooney nearly caught the game-winning touchdown on the final throw. And Fields threw a beautiful pass down the field to a wide-open Robert Tonyan in the first quarter that would have been a 73-yard touchdown, but Tonyan had one of the worst drops of the season. This week, Fields should get back on track against the Cardinals, who allow the fifth-most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks at 22 per game. Two of the past three quarterbacks against Arizona have scored at least 31.4 Fantasy points.
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Bears' Justin Fields: Leads team to win
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Fields completed 19 of 33 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown and added 12 carries for 58 yards and a rushing touchdown in the Bears' 28-13 win over the Lions on Sunday.
Fields leaned on DJ Moore and Cole Kmet in the passing game while also leading Chicago in rushing. Surprisingly, Fields' rushing score was only his second of the season, though he has at least 46 yards on the ground in his last four games. As a passer, Fields has not surpassed 223 yards and one touchdown in any of his last four games. He'll have a tough matchup at the Browns to open the fantasy playoffs before getting a pair of home games against the Cardinals and Falcons.
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Bears' Justin Fields: Sleeper QBs
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I'm putting Fields in the sleeper section because I'm slightly concerned about his situation in Week 11 at Detroit. He missed the past four games with a thumb injury, and hopefully there's no rust from the layoff. While the Lions are No. 10 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, I still view this as a tough defense to face on the road. That said, it's great to have Fields back, and prior to his injury in Week 6 against Minnesota he scored at least 35.9 Fantasy points in consecutive games. Consider Fields a low-end starter in all leagues and hopefully he's back to 100 percent for the rest of the season.
