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Justin Fields could sense his time in Chicago was up at his exit meeting in January.
While Bears general manager Ryan Poles didn’t outright tell Fields the organization was going to look for another quarterback after three uneven seasons with the talented but inconsistent Fields running the offense, Foles didn’t have to.
Fields could sense it in Poles’ body language.
So when Fields received a call while eating dinner in Italy in mid-March that he was heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the initial reaction wasn’t shock, but relief quickly followed by optimism.
Even though the Steelers had just signed Russell Wilson and tabbed him as the starter. Even knowing there was almost no chance Pittsburgh would exercise Fields’ fifth-year option. Even facing uncertainty as to what happens beyond 2024.
Fields remembers watching a hype video while at Ohio State that featured Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. And then all of a sudden, there Fields was on Tuesday, listening to Tomlin give the Steelers — Fields included — a pep talk before the beginning of organized team activities.
“The culture that ‘Coach T’ has and just the standard that the Steelers have set, this organization has set, I think that was the biggest appeal for me,” Fields said.
The 25-year-old Fields credited Poles for putting him in a situation where he wanted to be, even if that means his name isn’t atop the depth chart.
Asked if it bothered him that he wasn’t traded to a place where he could start right away, Fields shook his head and said he wasn’t “worried about who was here, none of that.”
The chance to play for Tomlin and be part of a franchise known for its stability (though that may be changing considering the roster turnover over the past four months), outweighed everything else.
“I’m grateful to be here and grateful to be a part of this team,” he said.
It’s a team that completely revamped its offense after a first-round playoff loss to Buffalo. All three quarterbacks who started games for the Steelers…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/justin-fields-is-eager-to-start-over-in-pittsburgh-even-as-a-backup-behind-russell-wilson
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Publish date : 2024-05-21 21:31:06
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