close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

    • Why did the Steelers bench Justin Fields? Last change in week 7
    news

    Why did the Steelers bench Justin Fields? Last change in week 7

    Vaseline Posted on

    play

    Ahead of the 2024 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers made major changes at quarterback. First, the team signed Russell Wilson after he was released by the Denver Broncos. The team then traded a conditional sixth-round draft pick to the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields.

    The two battled for the Steelers’ starting role during training camp. A week before the start of the regular season, Wilson suffered a calf injury and missed the first six games of the year.

    Fields had taken a 4-2 lead in his absence as starter and led the team with Baltimore to a tie at the top of the AFC North. This week, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced that Wilson is considering starting “Sunday Night Football” against the New York Jets.

    This is why the Steelers could bench Fields.

    Why did the Steelers bench Justin Fields?

    The team will likely move to Wilson as the starter for several reasons. Prior to his calf injury in early September, Wilson appeared ready to start for the Steelers in Week 1. Without his injury he probably would have already started.

    The Steelers’ 4-2 record is also largely due to their defense. That unit ranks second in points allowed per game in the NFL and is one of the best defenses in the league. The offense with Fields at the helm is 20th in scoring, 26th in yards and in the bottom half of the league in most efficiency metrics, according to SumerSports.

    The conditional draft pick that Pittsburgh gave up for Fields could also be another reason. If Fields plays 51% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps this season, the sixth-round draft pick becomes a fourth-round pick.

    Opinion: Russell Wilson taking the Steelers starting QB job is only a matter of time

    Justin Fields stats

    In 2024, Fields has completed 106 of his 160 passes for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He has also rushed 55 times for 231 yards and a team-high five rushing touchdowns.

    Justin Fields contract

    The 25-year-old Fields is still on the contract he signed with the Bears as a rookie. He is in the final year of the contract and is a $3.2 million cap hit in 2024. Pittsburgh did not pick up his fifth-year option — included in all first-round contracts — until 2025, making him a free agent after this. season.

    Russell Wilson contract

    Wilson signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Steelers this offseason. But that’s not all he’s creating this year. Wilson, 35, signed a five-year, $242 million contract with the Broncos ahead of the 2022 NFL season. By releasing him early, the Broncos will still pay him $53 million in 2024 and $32 million in 2025.

    Vaseline
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like