Justin Fields has a chance to prove the Pittsburgh Steelers wrong, even if he's saying all the right things ahead of Week 1

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 8:23 AM ET

Justin Fields has always been a consummate professional. Dating back to his time with the Ohio State Buckeyes, people have raved about his character and leadership. That was the case with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the talk out of Florham Park is that the New York Jets feel the same way.

Fields even did a great job this week, not taking the bait when asked about the storylines surrounding this game. You know, the revenge factor of it all. Aaron Rodgers coming back, his chance to show the Steelers they should have never benched him, all of that Jazz.

But just because he's saying the right things, doesn't mean he will go into Sunday without a chip on his shoudler.

Justin Fields can make Steelers second-guess their 2025 plans in Week 1

"There’s no storyline for me,” Fields told Jets media earlier this week. “It’s ball for me, so I’ll let you guys kind of handle the storylines, the news lines and stuff like that. In the locker room, we just keep it straight ball.”

Look, having covered Fields last season, I'm willing to take what he says at face value. I'm sure he's as prepared and detailed as he can be. But sorry folks, this isn't just another game. This isn't another NFL Sunday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A to Z Sports Steelers (@atozsportssteelers)

This is Justin Fields' debut with the New York Jets. At home, to open the season. He's playing not only one of the most notable teams in the history of sports, but the team that benched him, then wouldn't secure him stability in his future, and let him walk.

So yeah, this is not a regular game. Mike Tomlin knows as much, as he too is preparing to play what will be a motivated Justin Fields.

“He’s stronger than most mobile quarterbacks,” Tomlin said on Tuesday when talking about the preparation for Fields. “That’s a component of his game. He’s a really talented guy. Physically, he’s not easy to bring down. He’s got a real solid base about it. He’s big, and so what might be different, I think about his unique physical skill set, but in terms of schematics, I don’t know that you know the things that they do differently from others. I think there are some global things that people do in that area.”

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MK7mI7ugx9I

In the end, Justin Fields just wants to start on a good foot. Priority number one is leaving Sunday with a win. But don't think for one second that the opportunity to show his former team where they went wrong, while simultaneously confirming his team's priors, is going to slip by him.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: