When news broke Thursday that Justin Fields was being carted off the practice field on the second day of Jets training camp, football fans held their breath. The former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback was the no-contest starter for the 2025 season and was looking for a shot at redemption after getting unjustly benched by Mike Tomlin entering Week 7 last year.
Thankfully, Fields appeared to have dodged a bullet. While speculation ran rampant on social media, the latest reports indicate that the veteran quarterback merely suffered a toe injury after getting stepped on. Fields will have an MRI to gather more information, but he's expected to be okay.
While Fields could be back in action soon, this scary incident is a reminder of the fragility of a team's season and the importance of quality quarterback depth.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans can be thankful the team signed Mason Rudolph in free agency
If Justin Fields had suffered a season-ending injury, the New York Jets' 2025 season would have been over before it even started. Behind Fields on the depth chart are a 35-year-old Tyrod Taylor and two unproven players in Adrian Martinez and Brady Cook. These quarterbacks would hardly suffice if Fields were forced to miss any action this season.
Thankfully, the Steelers have a quality backup if Aaron Rodgers goes down.
Long before Rodgers inked his deal before Steelers minicamp, Pittsburgh's front office signed veteran QB Mason Rudolph to a two-year, $7.5 million contract. This is a small price to pay for a player who could potentially save the season.
Don't get me wrong, if Rodgers were to go down for the year (knock on wood), the Steelers won't go far in the postseason. But what Rudolph can do (and has proven to do in the past) is weather the storm for stretches of the season when filling in for the starter. Rudolph was the reason Pittsburgh entered the postseason following the 2023 season after catching fire when called upon for a three-game stretch late in the year.
The last thing any team with hopes of contending needs is for an incompetent backup quarterback to sink his team's season hopes when he's asked to come in for a stretch of games. Rudolph isn't perfect, but he can keep the Steelers afloat if Rodgers misses time.
The Justin Fields injury scare feels like the perfect reminder to thank the Pittsburgh Steelers for landing a quality insurance policy during the 2025 offseason.