The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans are as happy with the quarterback position as they’ve been in years. While the team still has plenty of issues to sort out to get to and win in the playoffs, at least the trust the franchise put in Aaron Rodgers wasn’t misplaced.
Of course, that didn’t come without skepticism, especially after Justin Fields flashed some promise in six games with the Steelers last season. He got a better offer from the New York Jets in free agency, so Pittsburgh let him walk.
Unfortunately for Fields, he walked into a horrendous situation and hasn’t been able to replicate a fraction of the promise he showed in Pittsburgh outside of his Week 1 revenge game against the Steelers. After a sixth-straight poor outing for Gang Green, first-year head coach Aaron Glenn benched Fields in favor of journeyman veteran Tyrod Taylor.
Ex-Steelers QB Justin Fields’ rough start forces Jets to pull the plug
In their home game against the Carolina Panthers, Fields struggled to move the ball through the air, completing just half of his 12 passes for 46 yards. While that’s well below the bar for a half of football, even just that stat line would only be his third-worst of the season.
In Week 2 against Buffalo, he completed just three of 11 attempts for 27 yards. Last week, New York finished with -10 passing yards because of the combination of sack yards and its lowly 45 yards through the air.
On the season, Fields has completed 65% of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions, but just 799 yards in six games. Tack on the 0-6 start for the Jets, it’s no surprise that he was sent to the bench with 0-7 becoming closer to reality.
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Fields signed a 2-year, $20 million deal in the offseason, but if he doesn’t get the starting job back or make a complete 180 if he does, he may be looking for a new team once again in 2026.
Either way, Fields’ days as a full-time starter in the NFL are likely over. While Pittsburgh will need a new quarterback next season, assuming Rodgers does decide to retire, it’s safe to say Fields won’t be an option worth entertaining. And many other teams will likely feel the same.