Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin expressed his disappointment with quarterback Justin Fields following the team’s 20-12 preseason defeat to the Houston Texans on Friday. Tomlin pointed to two fumbled snaps as a significant issue, noting that Fields shared responsibility for the errors alongside the center. He remarked, “I thought he did some nice things. But obviously he was a component of the C-Q exchange, and from my perspective that’s dual responsibility on the center and the quarterback. It negated a lot of good things going on in those first couple of drives.”
Fields, starting in place of Russell Wilson, who is sidelined due to a calf injury, experienced fumbles on his initial two drives. Although the offense managed to recover the ball both times, they were forced to punt shortly after.
In addition to the fumbles, Fields completed 5 of 6 passes for 67 yards, without any touchdowns or interceptions, and was sacked twice.
After the game, Fields took responsibility for the snapping mishaps, stating, “We were just shooting ourselves in the foot. Fumbled snap, I think all three phases, so we can definitely be better in that part. And I think the snapping part, we just got to be on the same page. I’ll put that on me to just be on the same page and know who’s in that center or know how to adjust and what I need to do.”
However, center Nate Herbig defended Fields, asserting that the fault was entirely his own.
Fields, who was drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bears in 2021, was traded to the Steelers during the offseason when the Bears opted to pursue USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the top pick. Pittsburgh completely revamped its quarterback lineup, parting ways with Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett, while letting Mason Rudolph go in free agency, ultimately acquiring Fields and signing Wilson.
While Fields has yet to fully establish himself as a top passer throughout an entire NFL season, he demonstrated potential during the 2023 season with the Bears, completing 61.4 percent of his throws for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, while also rushing for 657 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games.
Currently, it is anticipated that Fields will serve as the backup to Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, at the start of the 2024 season. However, with Wilson absent on Friday, the competition remains open. Fields did not do enough to unseat Wilson as the starting quarterback, yet both players will have an opportunity to showcase their abilities in the upcoming game against the Buffalo Bills.