Former Bears Starter Gets Shocking Demotion Ahead of Week 7
By Cem Yolbulan
The Chicago Bears moved on from Justin Fields in the offseason after three seasons with the team. The talented quarterback was traded to the Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick that would become a fourth-round pick if he played 51% of the team's snaps.
The season started very well for Fields. Taking advantage of the massive opportunity he got with Russell Wilson's calf injury, Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 record. The offense hasn't been setting the world on fire necessarily but the 25-year-old has minimized turnovers and excelled in game management.
Many had assumed that Fields had earned the starting job considering the Steelers had exceeded expectations. Surprisingly, however, he is getting demoted ahead of the Week 7 matchup against the Jets. Russell Wilson, who took first-team reps this week per NFL insider Tom Pelissero, is taking the QB1 role now that he is healthy.
NFL News: Steelers Plan to Start QB Russell Wilson in Week 7
This is a brave but surprising decision by head coach Mike Tomlin. If the Steelers lose the next game or two, there will certainly be calls about bringing Fields back as the starter. Ian Rapoport reported that both quarterbacks will play but how many snaps Fields will actually take remains to be seen.
For his part, Fields has shown impressive maturity through it all. Instead of sulking and complaining, he said that he hasn't been good enough and if he were, this wouldn't even be a conversation.
Fields played every snap through the first six games of the season. There is still a chance that he will hit the 51% mark when the season ends, giving the Bears an additional fourth-round pick in the draft.