Tag: Justin Fields

Former Steelers’ RB has 3-word response to Pickens’ Week 7 performance

Former Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell quickly took to social media to remind everyone just how great George Pickens will be under Russell Wilson.

Former Steelers All-Pro RB Le’Veon Bell made headlines this week as he and former Steelers All-Pro WR Antonio Brown attended Pittsburgh’s Week 7 Sunday Night Football game against the New York Jets.

In the buildup to the game, one of the key storylines surrounding the ‘Steel City’ was the controversial quarterback switch initiated by Head Coach Mike Tomlin. While some fans were confused and frustrated by the polarizing decision, Bell stated that Steelers WR George Pickens would look better than ever under the new starting quarterback, Russell Wilson.

After Pickens produced 111 yards and one touchdown on just 5 catches, Bell took to social media to give the Wilson and Steelers doubters a piece of his mind.

His response, while simple, speaks volumes to every Steelers doubter heading into Week 7. While many in the ‘Steel City’ will likely rescind their previous predictions about the team’s future, the new Steelers quarterback, Russell Wilson, would probably respond to doubters with the same three words as Bell: ‘I told you.’

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How valuable is QB Justin Fields on the trade market?

With Russell Wilson potentially the starting QB job for weeks to come, what would teams theoretically give up in a trade for Justin Fields?

Quarterbacks are extremely hard to come by in today’s game. Some franchises, like the Browns and Panthers, spend years rebuilding in hopes of finding the future of their organization. After Russell Wilson’s dominant Week 7 victory over the New York Jets, Justin Fields may be more valuable as a trade asset than as a backup QB.

Several teams are trying to compete without a reliable signal-caller in 2024, and if their were teams interested in acquiring Fields, what would a trade look like?

The Steelers gave up a conditional sixth-rounder to acquire Fields, but he has performed well so far this season, and the team could demand a conditional second- or third-round pick in 2024.

As the team is in ‘win-now mode’, if Pittsburgh traded Fields away, it’s more likely they would do so to acquire a talented receiver, such as DeAndre Hopkins, Jerry Jeudy, Diontae Johnson, or Jakobi Meyers.

Could Pittsburgh trade away their potential future signal-caller in hopes of winning a Super Bowl this season? Only time will tell as the November 5th trade deadline draws nearer.

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Sorry Justin Fields, this is Russell Wilson’s team now

After leading the Steelers to score 37 points in Week 7, QB Russell Wilson has more than earned his starting position moving forward.

Much to the chagrin of Steelers fans, Mike Tomlin appears to have made the right call with the quarterback change in Week 7. A Russell Wilson-led Steelers team scored 31 unanswered points to close out the game, finishing with 37 points overall in the contest. 

Fans argued that it should be impossible to bench QB Justin Fields, who led the team to a 4-2 record, in favor of a returning Wilson.  Fields had helped lift the ‘Steel City’ to a win in Las Vegas last week, and his offense scored 32 points overall.  It seemed ludicrous to bench the young athletic quarterback.

However, it was clear to fans in attendance and those of us watching the nationally televised Sunday Night Football game around the world, Wilson is the best option moving forward. The veteran still boasts one of the best deep balls in the league, and his decision-making was flawless in the Steelers’ Week 7 victory. 

Wilson’s final stat line: 16-29, 264 passing yards, 3 total TDs

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Trading for a wide receiver has become much more important for the Steelers

With Russell Wilson as the starter, the Steelers now need more weapons in the passing game.

We are just over two weeks to the NFL trade deadline and there are still plenty of trade rumors swirling about the Pittsburgh Steelers potentially trading for a wide receiver.

There’s been Brandon Aiyuk, Courtland Sutton and Davante Adams already and the latest is New York Jets receiver Mike Williams. Personally we’d love to see the Steelers make a call to the Los Angeles Rams to check on the availability of Cooper Kupp.

But no matter who it is, the Steelers made it obvious this team needs another wide receiver this week. When head coach Mike Tomlin made the decision to bench Justin Fields in favor of Russell Wilson it created a completely new dynamic on offense.

Gone is the scrambling and designed runs of Fields which means when those protections break down it will be up to Wilson to make a throw. For that, he needs more than Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III out in the route. Fields’ ability to run minimized some of the issues at wide receiver but having Wilson in the starting lineup will just magnify them.

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Should Fields or Wilson be traded by November 5th deadline?

Could Justin Fields or Russell Wilson become draft capital before the trade deadline? The team could use their value to acquire an elite WR.

Week 7 could decide whether Russell Wilson or Justin Fields stays on the roster and which one becomes a trade casualty by the November 5th deadline. Pittsburgh has two quality starting quarterbacks on the roster, and the team would be foolish to keep both beyond the trade deadline in a few weeks.

Third-string QB Kyle Allen is a quality backup to either Fields or Wilson, and this Steelers team is built to win now. With this in mind, why not trade one of them for help in an area of concern for the Steelers, such as the offensive line or wide receiver?

There are a plethora of elite receivers rumored to be available at the deadline, and Omar Khan’s ingenious preparation for the Steelers’ future will most likely force one of the two QBs to take their opportunities elsewhere.

Is Pittsburgh using Wilson’s Week 7 start as an opportunity to heighten his potential trade value? Or is the team attempting to protect the trade value of Fields? Only time will tell, but expect Pittsburgh to use the conclusion of the QB competition to position themselves as ‘buyers’ at the deadline.

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Steelers adding a new twist at QB vs the Jets

One report says the Steelers plan to use both of their quarterbacks on Sunday vs the Jets.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the New York Jets this week, it seems they will opt for Russell Wilson at quarterback as opposed to sticking with Justin Fields. This is despite the fact that Fields has led the Steelers to a 4-2 record this season.

But this isn’t the wrinkle in the offense we are talking about. According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are going to start Wilson but Rapoport says the Steelers still plan to play Fields. Presumably, this means Fields would come in for some packages that utilize this athleticism on some RPO concepts.

Head coach Mike Tomlin is playing a dangerous game with the quarterback position. Fields hasn’t been great but he’s been good enough to win and a change like this could really throw off the team’s chemistry.

In addition, using Fields as a gadget quarterback could end up just a way for the Steelers to telegraph plays to the Jets. If this little experiment doesn’t work, Tomlin will need to answer for this.

The 4-2 Steelers might bench Justin Fields for Russell Wilson

It sounds like the 4-2 Steelers plan to bench Justin Fields in favor of ex-Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson this week.

It’s looking like former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is set to start for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football in Week 7.

Wilson started getting first-team reps in practice earlier this week, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that Wilson “seems to be trending toward” starting against the Jets on Sunday night.

It’s a curious decision from the Steelers because they are currently 4-2 and Justin Fields has 10 total touchdowns against one interception this fall. Fields has also fumbled six times, and he admitted that he hasn’t done enough to keep the QB1 role.

On Friday, Tomlin would not declare a starter, at least not publicly (the coach has already made his decision). While Tomlin’s not making an announcement, wide receiver George Pickens mentioned in his media availability that Wilson will make his first start on Sunday.

Unless Tomlin is attempting an elaborate smokescreen to throw off the Jets, it certainly seems like Wilson is trending toward starting in Week 7.

Wilson signed with Pittsburgh this spring after being cut by Denver.

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Former Steelers All-Pro RB makes prediction on George Pickens’ future

Le’Veon Bell made headlines last week as he attended the Week 6 game in Vegas. He has a bold prediction about Pickens’ future production.

George Pickens has been the limelight as of late for all the wrong reasons.  From drama stemming from inconsistent play a few weeks ago, to maturity issues with media availability, and more recently, ruining Mike Tomlin’s Week 7 ‘super-secret’ quarterback plan.

The news on Russell Wilson’s Week 7 start, that Pickens leaked accidentally, was unsurprising to most fans, as there were subtle hints that Justin Fields was going to be benched.  However, former All-Pro Steelers’ RB Le’Veon Bell believes Wilson will open doorways for Pickens that he hasn’t had before.

https://twitter.com/LeVeonBell/status/1847373525126173186

Can anyone truly argue with what Bell is predicting?  From his highlight reel catches, to being one of the most complete receivers in today’s game, Pickens’ talent is undeniable.  Wilson, who has had extremely talented receivers unlock their potential under his signal calling before, should get more out of Pickens’ production than any previous QB has gotten before.

Tune in to watch the duo’s first start together in Week 7, as the Steelers take on the Jets on Sunday Night Football, on October 20th, at 8:20 PM EST.

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Mike Tomlin’s ‘super-secret’ Week 7 QB plan backfires

Mike Tomlin’s not-so-secretive plan as to who the starting QB will be in Week 7 was hilariously foiled by one of his receivers.

Mike Tomlin is often known for keeping his cards close to his vest.  He did so in reference to his contract situation after Pittsburgh’s 2023 Wild Card playoff loss, with Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett’s QB battle, and most recently, with the Justin Fields and Russell Wilson drama.

While many fans could read the room and find little clues that were pointing to Wilson’s inevitable start in Week 7, Tomlin had never directly come out and named him starter.

Tomlin had done something similar in the buildup to Week 1’s game against Atlanta, forcing the Falcons to game plan for both QBs, much to the chagrin of media reporters looking for a definitive answer.


However, WR George Pickens, who has had media availability issues in the past, spilled the beans and foiled Tomlin’s plans by declaring Week 7 would be Wilson’s “first start”.  Will there be repercussions for the receiver’s slip-up?

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George Pickens accidentally leaks Steelers starting quarterback

Sounds like we know who is starting at quarterback on Sunday.

When Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media on Friday, he said he had his starting quarterback for this week’s game against the New York Jets. However, Tomlin told reporters he planning to keep that decision in-house.

But wide receiver George Pickens didn’t get the memo. When Pickens talked to the media, he let it slip that this week’s Steelers quarterback was making his first start, which makes it clear Tomlin’s plan is to start Russell Wilson this week and bench Justin Fields.

When we heard that Tomlin wasn’t going to publicly announce the starter, we assumed it was Wilson. This would have left some mystery and forced the Jets to prepare for the possibility of Fields and his athleticism in the gameplan. But thanks to Pickens, the Jets now know it will be Wilson getting his first start of the season.

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