Members of Steelers express regret for letting Fields go to Jets

During the New York Jets’ season opener, quarterback Justin Fields turned in one of his strongest outings since entering the league in 2021. The performance carried added weight against his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, several members of the Steelers organization circulated a “told ya so” message after last week’s performance, a nod to their regret over benching Fields after a 4-2 start last season and ultimately allowing him to leave in free agency.

“Last year, when the Steelers had both Wilson and Justin Fields, coach Mike Tomlin made the switch from Fields to Wilson six games in, despite some internal pushback and with the Steelers 4-2,” wrote Russini. “Fields had plenty of supporters in the locker room and even on the staff. The team rolled with Wilson, who gave them a spark early but ultimately flamed out.

“So when the Steelers lined up against the Jets last week and saw Fields on the other sideline — playing refreshed, decisive and free — let’s just say there were more than a few people saying ‘told ya so’ inside the organization.”

Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 start throughout Pittsburgh’s first six games before he was benched in favor of veteran Russell Wilson, who led Pittsburgh to a 6-5 record to close out the season.

In his Jets debut, Fields went 16-of-22 passing (72.2%) for 218 yards and a touchdown, while adding two rushing touchdowns and 48 yards on 12 carries. He took just one sack and avoided any turnovers, while continuing to lead the Jets on long drives throughout the game.

New York capitalized on that efficiency, scoring on six of its 10 offensive possessions with Fields leading the way.

The numbers backed up his performance, too. Fields’ 65.2% passing success rate was the highest among quarterbacks in Week 1, and his 9.22 net yards per attempt ranked just behind Lamar Jackson’s 9.24.

Fields’ Week 1 performance offered a glimpse of the quarterback the Jets have long searched for, but the true test comes today against the Buffalo Bills. Whether his breakout showing was merely a flash or the start of sustained success will be revealed this afternoon at MetLife Stadium.