The Pittsburgh Steelers are chasing a 2-0 start for the second straight season as they prepare to host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. But as promising as things look, plenty of people in the organization still believe Mike Tomlin made one of his biggest mistakes last year — giving up on Justin Fields.
In Week 1, Fields put on a show against his former team. Now the quarterback of the New York Jets, he racked up nearly 400 yards of offense and three total touchdowns, looking every bit like the playmaker Steelers fans thought he could be. And according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, plenty of voices inside Pittsburgh’s locker room were saying the same thing during the game: “Told you so.”
> “Last year, when the Steelers had both Wilson and Justin Fields, coach Mike Tomlin made the switch from Fields to Wilson six games in, despite some internal pushback and with the Steelers 4-2,” Russini reported. “Fields had plenty of supporters in the locker room and even on the staff. The team rolled with Wilson, who gave them a spark early but ultimately flamed out. So when the Steelers lined up against the Jets last week and saw Fields on the other sideline—playing refreshed, decisive and free—let’s just say there were more than a few people saying ‘told ya so’ inside the organization.”
The decision still stings. Fields’ performance against Pittsburgh only magnified the misstep. Every big throw, every long drive, and every highlight run was a reminder of what could have been if Tomlin had stayed the course. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson — the man chosen to replace Fields — ended last season crashing out with the New York Giants, failing to even score a touchdown in a blowout loss to Washington.
Yes, Aaron Rodgers has Steelers fans buzzing with his early-season form. But that doesn’t erase the reality: pulling Fields last year looks worse by the week. The young QB never got the chance to fully spread his wings in Pittsburgh, and it’s hard to ignore how free and confident he looked in green and white.
For now, the focus is on Seattle and keeping this season’s momentum rolling. But inside the building — and across Steelers Nation — the question lingers: Did Mike Tomlin make the wrong call on Justin Fields?
