As of midday Friday, Mike Tomlin may not have made it “official” yet, but there is a very strong chance Russell Wilson will get the starting nod for the Steelers over Justin Fields.
Justin Fields rushes for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Photo Credit: AP via Tribune-Review
Tomlin has apparently made a decision but is attempting to keep the information in house for the time being.
Fair enough. But the writing is on the wall about something that is pretty important: Justin Field has proved he’s a true man.
When reporters asked him about his potential demotion, Fields addressed it head on:
I mean, I don’t think I’ve played good enough, if I am being real with you. If I am being real with myself, I think if I did play well enough I don’t think there would be any sort of who should be playing and who should not. At the end of the day, we got a few wins and of course I am glad about that but there are area that I can get better at and I am going to continue to work on those and continue to get better.
Wow. This is from the mouth of a 25 year old man, a former 11th overall draft pick, and a starting NFL quarterback with 4-2 record and a passer rating that’s higher than Patrick Mahomes.
- The humility, responsibility and grace which Fields displayed is nothing short of incredible.
You seldom see that from professional athletes.
Andy Russell once told Dan Rooney he didn’t think he’d played well enough to deserve a raise (Rooney gave him the raise anyway) and Jack Lambert said he didn’t feel comfortable collecting his salary when he was on IR. But those revelations reached the public long after they happened.
Fields manned up in the locker room, in front of the camera, in an age when Steelers fans from Nome, Alaska to the Tierra del Fuego, Argentina could follow his words in real time. About the only thing similar in recent memory is Troy Polamalu denying he deserved the Steelers MVP award in 2010 (and then immediately going out and showing that he did deserve it.)
But, while not to discredit Polamalu’s example, remaining humble while you’re getting honored is very different than maintaining your humility when things aren’t going well.
- I don’t know what the future holds for Justin Fields.
Fields, I suspect, still has more story to write with the Steelers, even that doesn’t happen this Sunday night against the Jets. Although he hasn’t passed the tests he needs to pass to remain QB undisputed No. 1 on the field, he’s passed the character test with flying colors.
Wilson Also Deserves Praise
Another player who has done an exemplary job of embracing his role is Russell Wilson. Wilson came to Pittsburgh with a bit of a bad rap for his locker room rapport in Seattle and to a degree in Denver.
Whether that reputation is deserved or more of a storyline pushed by the national media remains unknown. But all indications are that Wilson has been a class act in Pittsburgh. When asked to assess Fields’ play, Wilson declared “Justin has done a great job. I think he’s a tremendous quarterback.”
And, in contrast to his now clipboard holding predecessor, Wilson readily admits that he’s learned something by watching from the sidelines. Very refreshing.
