Analyst Considers Former Steelers QB Free Agency Bargain
The Pittsburgh Steelers watched Justin Fields walk as a free agent. Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano believes the New York Jets got a bargain in the Chicago Bears’ former No. 11 overall draft pick, who spent just one season in the black and gold.
In a piece detailing the best- and worst-value free agent signings this cycle, Manzano gushed over Fields’ two-year, $40 million deal. The Steelers offered Fields, but he chose to head to New York instead.
“Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold and Derek Carr all have contracts that average more than $33 million per year,” Manzano wrote Friday. “That’s a lot more than Fields’s deal with the Jets. Yes, he’s an inconsistent passer, but the same can be said for most quarterbacks who aren’t in the top tier of the position, including the erratic trio named above. But one thing’s for sure about Fields: He’s an electrifying athlete who can make plays with his arm and legs.”
Fields has an abbreviated opportunity with the Steelers. He filled in while Russell Wilson was sidelined with a lingering calf issue last season. Fields didn’t do anything to lose the job. He didn’t do enough to keep it once Wilson was back healthy, either.
“Fields helped the Pittsburgh Steelers start 4-2 last year with a run-heavy offense and had a productive downfield connection with DJ Moore during his final season with the Chicago Bears,” Manzano said. “If the Jets can take elements from the Steelers’ and Bears’ offenses, Fields could have a breakout season while helping Garrett Wilson re-establish himself as one of the best wide receivers in the league after two years of chaos with Aaron Rodgers and Zach Wilson.”
Fields has made 38 career starts over four NFL seasons. He’s posted a 10-28 record and put up a career-low 110.6 passing yards per game for the Steelers last season. He threw for five touchdowns and one interception during his six starts in Pittsburgh.