There was a time when Justin Fields was supposed to be the guy. The next great dual-threat QB with top-five NFL potential. But the NFL doesn’t always follow the script. Fields’ time in Chicago was up and down, and by 2024, he found himself in Pittsburgh. That, too, only to get benched for a 36-year-old Russell Wilson. It felt like another can’t-miss prospect who… missed. But rock bottom? That depends on what he does next. However, if you thought the benching broke Fields, think again.

For the first time, Justin Fields is starting to open up about what really went down during that season in Pittsburgh. His words? Not what you’d expect. In a recent interview with Kay Adams, Justin said that the benching was something he needed. Wait….what? “It definitely had a lot of impact. … last year was something I’ve never experienced … I did need to take a step back and see it from a different perspective. Not only football but life in general. It was good for me,” he said. To really understand these words, we’ll have to rewind a bit.

After things went sideways in Chicago, Fields got a fresh start in Pittsburgh in March 2024. And for a minute, it really did seem like things were working. He led the Steelers to a 4-2 start and racked up more than 1,100 passing yards, five total touchdowns, and just one pick in his first six games. Solid, right? Not good enough for Mike Tomlin. Even with that early success, Mike made the call in Week 7 to roll with veteran Russell Wilson.

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For Fields, it was the first time in his football life that he’d been pulled midseason. No injury. No meltdown. Just… replaced. It stung. And now, for the first time, he’s opened up about it. No sulking about it, just accepting how it lit a fire that still burns going into 2025. Fields kept it real. He called getting benched a “reset.” He used that time to really watch, to soak it all in, and talked about learning from Russ. Not just how he plays, but how he carries himself, how he commands the room. And Mike Tomlin? Fields got a front-row seat to what a real winning culture looks like.

“The swag, the mindset everybody has, going into every game. Just being in that winning culture, I’ll try to implement that here,” he said.  And when Fields wasn’t taking snaps on Sundays, he wasn’t just standing around holding a clipboard. Far from it. Reports out of Steelers camp last season painted a picture of someone fully locked in. He was out there putting in late nights with OC Arthur Smith, deep-diving into film, and breaking down coverages like a coach-in-training. As The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly put it, Fields treated the whole thing like a “tactical internship.”

He mirrored Russell Wilson’s prep, came at coaches with questions mid-game, and soaked up everything Pittsburgh’s offense threw at him. And let’s be real, the Steelers’ system isn’t the simplest to soak up. And now, looking back? It might’ve been the most valuable stretch of his young career. Because now, at the Jets? The role would be entirely different.

Justin Fields’ time at the Jets would be nothing like at the Steelers

If Justin Fields learned anything in 2024, it’s what it feels like to be stuck in quarterback no-man’s land. And let’s be honest, he stepped into a locker room that already belonged to Russ. Fields never really had the wheel. He’d get a few drives, flash that dual-threat talent we all know he has, then suddenly… back to the bench.

But at the Jets? All that changes. He wasn’t just another trade. This was the Jets straight-up handing him the keys and saying, ‘It’s your show now.’ No shadow of Russell Wilson lurking. No QB controversy. Certainly no guessing games. They locked him in with a two-year, $40 million deal. So, yeah. He’s here to lead.

Fields is stepping into a way better setup this time around under new OC Tanner Engstrand. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the Jets are going all in on a spread-heavy, movement-based offense designed to let Fields use what makes him special: that electric escapability, the rocket arm, the ability to stretch defenses in ways few QBs can. Compare it to the system he had in Pitts: rigid, conservative, with little freedom.

The Jets gave him a better arsenal, too. New York doubled down in the draft with back-to-back first-round picks on offensive linemen and brought in veteran depth through free agency. Far cry from Pittsburgh, where he was basically running for his life. The Steelers’ O-line gave up 49 sacks last season and ranked just 27th in pass-block win rate. He’s got real protection and a real shot now.