By now, most fans have seen or heard about the fight that broke out at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp on Wednesday.
Quarterback Justin Fields was hit late by defender Elandon Roberts which caused an uproar, leading to the field being stormed by dozens of players.
On one side of the issue is the stance which Fields' offensive linemen are going to take, and obviously they were not happy about the late hit. Guard Nate Herbig offered a pretty simple explanation to the skirmish, saying:
"Nobody's gonna hit our quarterback, cheap shot, and get away with it. It's a big emphasis for us, a big emphasis for our unit. It's nothing personal, we just protect our quarterback."
As for the other side of the issue? Roberts didn't offer too much of a sincere apology, but more so seemed a little embarrassed by it. Admittedly, Roberts said he was going to stay away from the quarterback from now on.
#Steelers LB Elandon Roberts on his hit that led to today’s fight in practice.
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) July 31, 2024
“It was just a little tap, but the offense did what they supposed to do. You’re always supposed to protect your quarterback. … Imma stay away from the quarterback.” pic.twitter.com/rtTN0AJdDZ
We have yet to see real footage of the initial hit on Fields, so it's hard to gauge whether or not Roberts' description indeed fits. "Just a little tap," or not, Roberts should know better by now. You don't hit your own quarterback in practice, period. That's textbook.
Justin Fields is impressing at Steelers training camp, but can he win the starting job?
Because of the injury to starting quarterback Russell Wilson, Fields has been getting a lot of work with the ones. And, according to many of the reports and videos shared in camp, Fields has had some impressive performances.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has stated that Wilson is in "pole position" right now, which essentially means he's the starter without calling him the official starter. However, if Wilson's injury continues to linger, Fields' opportunities will only continue to stir the pot of competition.
Although there isn't a so-called "competition" between Wilson and Fields, fans might think otherwise. And, for good reason. The explosiveness of Fields and what he can do with his legs is something this offense could be missing. A stale, boring offense for the last couple of years could use a lift like Fields' ability.
For now, he's still QB2. But, if he is able to keep putting on a show at camp and giving the fans and coaches those "wow" moments, you never know.