Hours after Mike Tomlin described a “mutual” decision between the Pittsburgh Steelers and QB Justin Fields to part ways this offseason, Fields offered his own spin on his free agency decision. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Fields admitted he thought about re-signing with Pittsburgh.
“Yeah, I considered it,” he said via the Jets’ YouTube channel.
Pittsburgh traded for Fields during the 2024 offseason, one of the only teams interested in acquiring him. Set to begin the year as a backup, Fields was forced into the starting lineup for the first six games as Russell Wilson recovered from a calf injury originally hurt pushing a sled in training camp. Fields used his legs well and reduced his mistakes, helping lead the Steelers to a 4-2 start and division lead.
Returning to full health, Wilson took over the rest of the way. Playoffs included, Fields logged just 15 offensive snaps the remainder of the season, though an oblique injury caused him to miss a chunk of the action.
After the season, Pittsburgh seemed to prioritize retaining Fields. Expectations from most analysts and outsiders were the two would reach a new deal. But the Steelers offer was outmatched by the Jets, offering two-years and $40 million. Fields says his decision to leave didn’t center around money.
“[Head Coach Aaron Glenn], Fields said as the primary reason. “Playing against him for the first few years of my career in the league. Just excited to change the culture here and get things going. So I think that was kind of the most appealing thing to me.”
It’s not the first time Fields has cited his relationship with Glenn as the motivating factor to start over with a new team.
Before being hired by New York, Glenn served as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator for the previous four seasons. In the NFC North, Fields faced him twice a season and enjoyed hard-fought battles. In five games, Fields won two of them and registered eight total touchdowns (five passing, three rushing). Now, the two are together for Glenn’s first game as a head coach. A contest in which New York will face its former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
“The storyline’s crazy,” Fields said of the Week One matchup. “That’s why the NFL set us up for Week One, just for that. It’s cool to kind of see that and it’s gonna be fun going to against these guys on Sunday.”
Sunday’s performance won’t provide the definitive answer for which side made the correct move, but the media narrative will begin to form based on the outcome.
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