The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Justin Fields via a trade from the Chicago Bears before the start of the season. He started six games for the team before eventually paving the way for Russell Wilson, who was dealing with a calf injury at the beginning of the season.
The Steelers went 4-2 with Fields as the quarterback but opted to start Wilson. The veteran quarterback went 6-1 in the next seven games but lost the season’s last four. Pittsburgh will play the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round, and Eric Mangini thinks the team should also use Fields much more than they have since Wilson got healthy.
Eric Mangini Discusses Steelers’ Justin Fields
Mangini discussed Fields’ situation in a recent segment on “First Things First.” It came after Mike Tomlin floated the idea of using the former Bears quarterback in the Wild Card Round.
However, Mangini thinks the Steelers head coach is just playing mind games with the Ravens.
“It feels like Mike was talking about Justin Fields because he wants Baltimore to prepare for Justin Fields,” Mangini aaid. “He wants them to have to spend the time, the effort, the energy, the preparation. Typically, if you’re really going to unleash something, unleash a package, or introduce a package that’s extensive, you don’t tell anybody about it.”
Coach Mangini hopes to see Justin Fields take the field vs. the Ravens tomorrow:
“At this point, to me, it makes too much sense.” pic.twitter.com/kzTlxIA4qw
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) January 10, 2025
The former New York Jets head coach believes Fields will serve as a backup against the Ravens, but he thinks the 25-year-old quarterback should be given more opportunities as the team’s offense hasn’t played well for several weeks now.
“He [Fields] may have, you know, a few plays here and there, kind of the program they’ve been on,” added Mangini. “I think that’s a mistake. It hasn’t been very good. They’ve had problems for a while now. So, to try something different, at this point, to me, it makes too much sense.”
The Steelers come into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak, and their fans have serious doubts about Wilson. Some even speculatively think Arthur Smith, the team’s offensive coordinator, wants to use Fields but Tomlin is stopping him from doing so.
Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since 2017, and if the Steelers lose to the Ravens with Wilson playing poorly, the head coach could face a lot of backlash from the media and the fans.
Fields Provides a Different Dimension to the Steelers’ Offense
The Steelers’ offense with Wilson is quite predictable, as it is all about checkdowns and occasional deep throws to George Pickens. Teams around the league have seemingly grown accustomed to it over the course of the season, and Pittsburgh is now struggling to be effective offensively.
The Ravens have already played them twice this season and are well-prepared to limit Wilson if the Steelers don’t change their game plan. Fields is a completely different player from Wilson, as he can hurt teams with his legs.
The Ohio State product can also make big throws whenever necessary, and if he had been given more time to play, he might have had a better season than Wilson.
The Steelers’ defense should give them opportunities to win against the Ravens, but it will be up to Wilson and the rest of the offense to take advantage. If the veteran quarterback starts the game slow or plays poorly, Tomlin shouldn’t hesitate to give Fields the opportunity to save the team’s season.