The Pittsburgh Steelers will have perhaps the greatest spotlight in August. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields duking it out under the table for starting honors, analysts are taking sides.
Speaking on “The Carton Show,” NFL analyst Craig Carton picked Russell Wilson to be his starting quarterback. However, he also wanted to see Justin Fields take some snaps in games.
“I want that dude on the field. He’s a slot receiver, he’s a running back, he’s a football player. Put the ball in that guy’s hands, just don’t let him throw it.”
In other words, Carton appears to want Fields to play a Taysom Hill-esque role for the Steelers this season. Of course, considering Fields’ recent starting experience, he could be seen as potentially Taysom Hill 2.0.
Carton’s claim that Fields is a running back is likely to ruffle some feathers. Calling a quarterback a running back is typically used as an insult, especially in conversations about Lamar Jackson. However, it appeared that Carton meant it from a practical standpoint.
Justin Fields offers Mike Tomlin’s offense an opportunity for creativity for the Steelers
The Steelers are not known for their flashy play designs. However, by adding two similarly styled quarterbacks, Tomlin has an opportunity to put together a truly unique offense.
Most teams have one starting-caliber quarterback who is mobile and one who is not. In the case of teams that do have a mobile quarterback in their first and backup roles, there is usually a massive margin in skill.
Meaning, most teams hope they never have to use their backup quarterback. That said, with Fields being just barely under the line for starters in the NFL, there is reason to believe in him. That is, only if he is used smartly and sparingly to give the team a new look.
Of course, Carton didn’t mean that the team suddenly has a Derrick Henry-level running back and a Justin Jefferson-level wide receiver. Rather, he has a skill set that allows for him to not be a waste of resources if deployed in either of those positional roles.
Until now, Sean Payton has been the most obvious architect of using players out of position like Hill. Will Tomlin follow in his footsteps and get wacky with his play designs for Justin Fields this season?
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