A few months ago, the Chicago Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The impact of this trade is still being felt in both cities. In April, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren revealed on teammate Cam Heyward’s podcast that special teams coordinator Danny Smith had mentioned the idea of using Fields as a kick returner. The clip then went viral across social media. This week, Fields clarified that the coach’s comments had been misunderstood.
“Nah, I think everybody kind of interpreted it wrong. Coach Danny was basically just trying to send a message that no matter who you are, you could be on special teams. He just used that as an example. It’s funny how serious social media takes everything. It was kind of funny to me when everybody was making a big deal about it for no reason.”
Justin Fields would be a dynamic and electric return man.
The idea of Justin Fields returning kicks went viral because it’s funny to imagine. However, Fields is a quarterback and, as he mentioned last week, he’s focused on competing for the number one spot on the Steelers QB depth chart. This is beneficial for Chicago because the 2025 sixth-round draft pick from the Steelers could become a fourth-round selection if Fields plays 51% of the snaps in 2024. While it’s fun to think about Fields as a return specialist, his primary role remains quarterback.
The question is being asked at the wrong time. It should be asked at the end of the preseason games. If JF puts in the work and can function as a #2, great, otherwise kick returner for the season.
The punt return thing was an obvious joke. Like holy shit obvious. Only the writers at Sportsmockery took this seriously. Already not looking forward to the 200 articles about Fields that will be coming this fall. It’s Chicago Sportsmockery, not Pittsburgh…
He needs to become Taysom Hill to sustain any sort of success in this league.
Fields needs to get on the field to make contributions to the Steelers’ winning season with a couple of special packages designed for him during football situations. Maybe even have both QBs on the field for a few gadget plays or mere diversions.