NFL insider Dianna Russini and former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel debuted their Scoop City podcast on Tuesday morning, and Russini wasted no time giving some interesting information about the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Russini said training camp will be competitive, Russell Wilson be the starter, but that doesn’t mean Justin Fields is just going to ride the pine.
There’s been talk about the team having specialized packages for Fields to utilize his mobility, and Russini said that’s going to be the case, with the team already having worked on those plays.
“Let’s just make it clear. Russell Wilson is the starter. It’s going to be a competitive training camp. Justin Fields is there for a reason, but they want Russell Wilson, the veteran, the guy who knows how to do it, to be the starter coming out of Week 1,” Russini said.
She expanded on Fields being there for a reason by talking about the packages Arthur Smith will use him in.
“We’ll start with the idea of Justin Fields having some packages for him in this offense. 100 percent that is the plan, they’ve already worked on it. It’s in the playbook. So you’re going to see that in an Arthur Smith offense, and defensive coordinators around the league are all prepared for that. That is not news to them at all.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the teams around the league were preparing for the Steelers to use Fields inside the red zone, and that aligns at least with Russini saying coordinators are prepared for Fields to have his own packages. Of course, being ready for it to happen and then executing when it actually does happen are two entirely different things, and it’s going to be interesting to see if packages for Fields can be effective.
Fields’ running ability and the way he moves in space is special, especially for a quarterback, and it remains to be seen just how often he’ll get the opportunity to throw when he’s brought in or if it’s going to be a strictly run-based package. It would make sense if there were some RPOs or passing plays built in to keep defenses on their toes, and I’m sure Arthur Smith has some cool plays cooked up.
Wilson also endorsed the idea of a package for Fields, so the decision won’t ruffle any feathers in the quarterback room. At the end of the day, it looks like it could be a good move for the offense, but if the packages simply don’t work, it’s something the Steelers can try out and dump early in the season if the results aren’t there. But using Fields’ athleticism is never a bad idea, and it’s certainly going to be worth a shot for the Steelers to see if they can maximize that and have him some make plays.
