Justin Fields has Lamar Jackson to thank for his draft pedigree, going 11th overall to the Bears the same year Arthur Smith took over as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. The following season, Smith’s Falcons took on a rookie Fields and had the better of it. Not only did Atlanta win, Smith got in some choice comments, as Fields recalls of his current offensive coordinator.
“Arthur [Smith], he’s great. Before I got here, I’ve just known him as a competitor,” Fields said on the Not Just Football podcast. But, he advised, “He’s a trash talker,” adding that he would be “talking crazy” to him during games.
“Every time I played him, he’s always chirping, yelling like, ‘We know what they’re doing! He’s a running back!’” Fields recalled.
Athletic quarterbacks who don’t come into the league with all the traditional tools of the position often weather such comments. Some teams wanted Lamar Jackson to work out at wide receiver at the Combine, but he stuck to his guns.
Fields actually isn’t running as much with the Steelers despite setting a franchise modern quarterback record Week 1. In fact, he is more poised in the pocket, using his mobility to reset rather than take off. Not that he wants to put his legs on ice, but rather use them more as he gets more comfortable.
Part of that is on Arthur Smith to call more designed runs or read options for Fields to exploit. That’s not necessarily what they want to do, but if it fits the game plan, then they will figure it out. Smith had a hard time figuring out Fields the last time they played in a 37-17 loss in 2023, though.
“That year we were doing a lot of the same stuff on third downs. We were doing a lot of QB sweeps,” Fields said, triggering Steelers fans’ memories of the repetitive Matt Canada. He recalled Smith’s frustrations struggling to stop it. “He was like, ‘Damnit, how do we not know it’s going there! He’s a damn running back!’”
But things are different now that they’re on the same side, which is no surprise. After all, they’re doing a lot of winning together after experiencing plenty of winning separately. That has to be a unifying experience in and of itself.
“It’s been great with him so far, just his competitive spirit,” Justin Fields said of Arthur Smith. “Still learning each other each and every day and how he operates in the game. But everything’s been smooth and he’s been awesome and very detailed with his work.”
Of course, there is the question of how much time they might have together. Justin Fields still isn’t QB1 on the depth chart with Russell Wilson injured, and Arthur Smith surely plans to be a head coach again. The more success they have together, the more likely they are to part company sooner.
