What fans hear from team beat writers and team brass often occurs on opposite ends of the spectrum. And that’s certainly the case with Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan and The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly regarding quarterback Justin Fields.
Khan had this to say about Fields on a recent episode of The Fan Morning Show:
We really liked Justin coming out of college. He had an up-and-down situation in Chicago, and the opportunity was there to get him, and I’m excited. He’s really looked awesome. He’s a great individual, too.
Kaboly’s observation, via an offseason winners/losers article, wasn’t quite as wholesome.
Don’t get bent out of shape with Fields finding himself on this list. His talent speaks for itself. But unlike Wilson, he has a lot of obstacles to overcome for an opportunity this year. Fields didn’t get many first-team reps, and that’s significant come training camp. More than that, you can see what made him a first-round pick … and also what made the Chicago Bears move on. The arm strength, speed and playmaking with his legs are undeniable. However, he showed inconsistent accuracy and relied on his feet too quickly after the first read. That stuff can be fixed, but maybe not throughout a training camp.
Of course, it’s a rare moment when any GM throws a player under the bus, so you’d never hear Khan publicly speak poorly about the quarterback he traded for.
As for Kaboly, he set up his stance by encouraging fans not to jump to conclusions, but it didn’t quite work.
Instead, a panic button was pushed when reports of Fields “struggling” this offseason ran rampant through the interwebs. Suddenly, the Steelers have an issue with their presumed backup quarterback.
Training camp should help clarify Fields’ position for the 2024 season, as it tends to do for most teams.
