Justin Fields. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers QB Justin Fields doesn’t hold back on coach

Originally posted on NFL Analysis Network
By Robert Marvi | Last updated Jun 20, 2024 2:17 PM ET

In his first three seasons in the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields has struggled, and many have lost hope that he can turn into the star he was projected to become when he was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 11th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Fields had excelled while at Ohio State University, which has made some wonder why he has had such a rough time in the pros so far.

Now, Fields will have a shot at a clean slate thanks to an offseason trade that sent him from the Bears to the Steelers.

He will apparently be backing up Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh, but there may be a window of opportunity for him to become the team’s QB1 if things break right.

The Steelers have a new quarterbacks coach in Tom Arth, and Fields told the media that he’s very impressed with Arth, especially when it comes to how detail-oriented the coach is.

“He comes in as the same guy each and every day…I don’t think I’ve had a coach as detailed as Tom…That’s the thing that sets him apart,” Fields said of Arth, per Chris Adamski.

Justin Fields calls new Steelers QB coach Tom Arth the most detail-oriented coach he’s been around pic.twitter.com/pB2D0Rjyhz
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) June 12, 2024

Arth hasn’t spent much time in the NFL. He was a pass game specialist for the Los Angeles Chargers for two years, but has spent most of his coaching career at the college level.

After brief stints as a player in the NFL, NFL Europe, Canadian Football League (CFL) and Arena League, he was as assistant at John Carroll University in Ohio for three seasons before becoming their head coach in 2013. He was then the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the University of Akron.

Can Justin Fields save his career in Pittsburgh?

With the Bears, Fields completed just 60.3 percent of his pass attempts and threw for 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in 40 games.

There are still some who feel the 25-year-old can develop into a good NFL quarterback, but at this point, it isn’t very easy to imagine that actually happening.

On the other hand, in Pittsburgh, he won’t be asked to carry a franchise that has been a laughingstock for most of the last 30-plus years, as the Bears have been. He can sit and watch behind Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion, and analyze how he can improve with the guidance of Arth.

The Steelers should be one of the more interesting teams to watch this coming season thanks to the changes they have made, and if Justin Fields becomes a part of their success, he could very well resurrect his career.

This article first appeared on NFL Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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