Justin Fields of the Steelers shoulders responsibility; Offensive Coordinator implies potential rift in upcoming QB decision
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields appeared to acknowledge that he may have lost his starting job, despite head coach Mike Tomlin not yet officially naming Russell Wilson as the starter.
\"I don\'t believe I performed well enough, to be honest with you,\" Fields stated on Thursday when asked about the possibility of not starting in Sunday's game against the New York Jets. \"If I'm being honest with myself, I think if I had played better, there wouldn't be any question about who should be starting and who shouldn't be.
\"We've had a few wins, which I'm happy about, but there are areas where I could have done better and I'm going to continue to work on those and improve.\"
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Fields' comments come as veteran Russell Wilson has been taking first-team reps this week.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has made it clear that Tomlin will make the final decision on the starting quarterback.
Last week, Smith seemed to strongly indicate that he would choose Fields as the starter.
\"He's not about drama. He doesn't try to create a certain image. That's probably why his teammates in Chicago loved him,\" Smith said. \"He's extremely coachable and intelligent.\"
On Thursday, Smith reiterated that Tomlin will make a decision by the end of the week.
\"Unfortunately, Russell has missed a lot of time and we haven't had a chance to see him,\" Smith said. \"I think Justin has done a good job. Nobody is perfect, but ultimately it's about winning. I wish we were 6-0, but we're not. We've made progress in certain areas in some weeks.\"
Fields and Wilson competed for the starting job during training camp, but Wilson was dealing with a calf injury. Tomlin ultimately named Wilson as the starter at the end of the preseason, but he was inactive for the first five games due to a leg injury. He was deemed healthy by Tomlin on Tuesday and served as the backup quarterback last week.
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Fields, 25, has completed 66.3% of his passes for 1,106 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. He has also rushed for 231 yards and five scores. However, the Steelers (4-2) rank 28th in passing and 20th in points.
\"I would love to be 6-0 right now, but I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given,\" Fields said. \"I had the first six weeks, and we'll see what happens this week.\"
Smith argued that Fields should not lose his confidence if Wilson is named the starter again.
\"His confidence should be high. He's 4-2 and has been very productive,\" Smith said. \"So, whatever Mike tells us to do, we'll be prepared either way. That's our job.\"
