Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports

Fight! Steelers' Justin Fields Hit Late Causing Huge Brawl At Training Camp

Originally posted on Steeler Nation | By Brogan Noey | Last updated Jul 31, 2024 1:10 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers have intense training camp practices, probably even more so than the other 31 teams around the league. Their practices start off with a competition between the offense and the defense, which sets the tone for that day of practice. The two sides of the ball are always at one another's throats, and that was seen during practice on Wednesday. Justin Fields took a late hit from the defense, and members of the offensive line quickly jumped in.

Fields tends to use his athleticism, and he has been displaying it on runs during training camp. Although he is running the football, the rule still stands that defenders cannot hit the quarterback. Fields took off during a team period on Wednesday, and he took a late hit which involved both Elandon Roberts and Beanie Bishop Jr. Offensive lineman jumped in to protect their quarterback immediately.

THINGS GETTING HEATED

AFC Northing football isn’t soft pic.twitter.com/5GA264nrnO
— PickensBurgh (Tino) (@PickensBurgh) July 31, 2024

It seems like the majority of the offense and defense got involved, which is expected. Tempers flare during training camp, and it is a good thing to see the offensive line going after the defense for hitting the quarterback. Maurkice Pouncey made a name for himself doing that in defense of Ben Roethlisberger.

Steelers Rookies Defend Justin Fields

What was especially impressive to see was the rookie offensive linemen getting involved. Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick were some of the first linemen to retaliate. They are making their presence felt early, which is something Head Coach Mike Tomlin likely loved to see.

Elandon Roberts shoved Justin Fields at the end of a run and the offensive line took exception. A shoving match broke out for the first scrum of camp. Saw Mason McCormick and Troy Fautanu in there, among others
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) July 31, 2024

The two rookies quickly stepping in to protect their quarterback will make the Steelers' defenders think twice before hitting Fields in practice again. This is the first fight that has been seen this training camp, and there will likely be more. All of this is expected, but it's great to see that the two guys who were leading the charge haven't even stepped onto an NFL field yet.

Fields isn't even the Steelers current starting quarterback, yet the offense fired back with intensity when one of their own took a hit. This is the type of physicality that has been missing from Pittsburgh's offense in recent years. This is a sign of a major step forward from the unit, which should have every fan optimistic about the 2024 season.

This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

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