Justin Fields missed a significant chance to secure the QB1 position during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first preseason game on Friday night.
Fields, along with center Nate Herbig, fumbled the ball twice during their initial drives, a setback that overshadowed any progress Fields made on the field. This was particularly crucial as Fields had the opportunity to prove himself with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson sidelined due to a calf injury.
Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, analyzed the plays and highlighted communication issues between Fields and Herbig as the likely cause of the fumbles. Both players took responsibility, with Herbig admitting full blame and Fields acknowledging the need for better synchronization.
Fields commented:
“We were shooting ourselves in the foot… We definitely can be better in that part.”
Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin recognized some positive plays from Fields but emphasized that the fumbles undermined the team’s momentum.
Tomlin stated, “He did some nice things… But the C-Q exchange is dual responsibility, and it negated a lot of good things in those first drives.”
With Russell Wilson expected to return for the next preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, Fields may have missed his best shot to claim the starting position. If he hopes to regain ground in the quarterback competition, Fields will need to impress the coaching staff with the second unit or hope for another opportunity due to Wilson’s potential missteps.
