Justin Fields' tenure in Pittsburgh always seemed to be messy. The same can be said about his decision to leave the Steelers via free agency. The Jets seemed to win the battle for the dynamic quarterbacks' services but Mike Tomlin's latest words cast doubt over just how things went down.
The veteran head coach was recently asked about the Steelers' decision to "walk away" from Fields this summer, but quickly pushed back on that notion. He referred to the quarterback's decision to head to the Jets as a "mutual decision."
That's a markedly different tone than Steelers struck in the midst of their offseason. Team officials previously went on record with their desire to keep Fields in the fold. They stopped short of guaranteeing him a spot as the team's starter in 2025, but the general consensus was that they made a reasonable offer to him in free agency.
Instead, they opted for Aaron Rodgers after Fields cast his lot with the Jets. That was the first clue for fans in New York that they should be concerned about their investment at quarterback. Bringing in a 41-year-old who's struggled mightily to stay healthy in recent years was a curious choice by the Steelers' brass.
It's a choice the Jets should understand better than anyone. They, being Rodgers' most recent employer know exactly what Pittsburgh is getting in the aged Hall of Famer. More specifically, they should understand what the Steelers are not getting from Rodgers.
Jets should be worried after Steelers' about-face on Justin Fields
That's why Pittsburgh's decision to go with Rodgers over Fields should raise alarm bells amongst the team's fan base. Fields has some upside as the younger signal-caller, but clearly Tomlin and his staff aren't upset over his decision to seek greener pastures. Fans in New York need to hope that team officials did a large amount of due diligence before casting their lot with Fields after his failure to secure a future in Pittsburgh.
In fairness to the Jets, they did not break the bank to land Fields in free agency. They made a relatively modest bet on him to give them solid quarterback play in 2025. If Fields falls flat on his face they will not hesitate to replace him with a premium draft pick or different free agent in the offseason.
This strange quarterback trade still sets up an interesting subplot between the two teams. Neither player is favored to lead their new teams to Super Bowl glory this year, but they could help their respective rosters take meaningful steps forward this year. Jets fans should hope Tomlin is dead wrong about Fields.