Ever since the Pittsburgh Steelers' schedule was announced, NFL fans have had their Week 1 contest against the New York Jets circled because of the Aaron Rodgers connection. Of course, that was before he even signed with the franchise. Yinzers have been looking forward to it because Justin Fields is now leading Gang Green.
While many Steelers fans would have loved to see Fields stay in Pittsburgh, there’s no doubt the postseason hopes for Pittsburgh are much higher with Rodgers under center. For most of that portion of the fanbase, there instead lies some hope that Fields will finally catch on and prove himself as a starting quarterback - at least, after Week 1, of course.
Still, despite wanting the Steelers defense to give Fields hell on September 7, no doubt fans of professional competition want to see the man who led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record as the starter to give his former team his best shot. Unfortunately for Fields, recent practice footage indicates his revenge game will be a hell of his own making.
Justin Fields’ shaky practice footage raises hopes for Pittsburgh Steelers defense
A clip-up of some of Fields' passes in the Jets’ joint practice with the New York Giants surfaced on social media recently, and it showcased the fifth-year signal caller missing on several throws, badly.
Fields and Wilson were supposed to have "uncanny" camaraderie.. pic.twitter.com/vR6T1OSpl8
— RosterWatch (@RosterWatch) August 14, 2025
The biggest hangup in Fields’ game throughout his career has been his accuracy. He has struggled to throw with the consistency or anticipation required to be a franchise quarterback, which is why he’s on his third team in as many years.
The video showcased a big reason why, too. Watch those throws again, especially the ones where Fields isn’t cut out of the shot, and watch his feet. There’s no consistency or rhythm in his lower body that matches what he's trying to do from the waist up. Throwing the football is a full-body act, but Fields’ mechanics, or lack thereof, show that he hasn’t fixed the fatal flaw in his game.
READ MORE: Ex-Steelers first-rounder may be getting his final shot to stay in the NFL
Of course, anyone can cherry-pick to cut up bad practice footage. After all, practice is where players are meant to make their mistakes. Rodgers said as much himself after his early struggles in training camp. Of course, Rodgers tries new things in his decision-making, not in his mechanics, which is a stark difference.
The Jets are sure to run the ball a lot, not just against the Steelers in Week 1, but throughout the season. Still, Pittsburgh holds some advantage heading into the game, having inside knowledge of Fields’ tendencies and weaknesses. Pittsburgh will have to force the Jets to lean on Fields to win them the game, which seems to be the Steelers’ best chance at starting 1-0.