Steelers OC Arthur Smith Shares His Thoughts On Justin Fields’ Debut

As the 2024 NFL regular season draws closer, the Pittsburgh Steelers get a better look at who is going to be their starters.

The biggest question coming into the new season was simple — who will start at quarterback for Pittsburgh? The answer has always been Russell Wilson, but Justin Fields had a chance to inch closer to the starting role with his preseason start on Friday against the Houston Texans.

It ended up being a mixed bag for the former first-round selection. Fields finished with 67 yards on 5-of-6 passing. That’s the good news from his first Steelers appearance. The bad news was that he fumbled two snaps and suffered two sacks. He also wasn’t able to add much on the ground, rushing for just two yards on three attempts.

While the statistics weren’t great, the new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith liked what he saw from the 25-year-old passer.

“I thought he was decisive,” Smith said to the media, as transcribed by Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker. “I thought he threw a great ball to Van (Jefferson) … I thought when we got out of our own way, I thought he operated pretty well.”

Taking the good from Fields’ outing is what should help him grow. He may not be the starter in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, but there’s always a chance his number will be called sometime this season.

Fields and the Steelers will take the field once again on Saturday at 7 p.m. EST against the Buffalo Bills.

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