Jets' Justin Fields Says He 'Wasn't Really Comfortable' on Steelers in 2024 NFL Season

Justin Fields says he "wasn't really comfortable" playing as a backup after the Pittsburgh Steelers benched him in favor of Russell Wilson in Week 7 of the 2024 season.

"It was different for me and a space I wasn't really comfortable. But Coach Tomlin made a decision he thought was best for the team," Fields said Wednesday, per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. "I'm never going to go against that. I just tried to change my perspective and get better in practice."

Fields joined the New York Jets on a two-year, $40 million contract this spring despite the Steelers making him what ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported was a "very competitive" offer.

When asked Wednesday if last season's benching influenced his decision to sign with the Jets, Fields answered, "Not really."

"You can't take things personal … at the end of the day I was just excited about what the Jets had going on here," Fields said, per Rosenblatt. "It didn't have anything to do with Pittsburgh, but the opportunity I had here to make an impact."

Fields is currently on track to enter the 2025 season as QB1 in front of Tyrod Taylor in New York.

When asked about the possibility of the Jets selecting a quarterback in this year's draft, Fields sidestepped the topic.

A 2021 first-round pick who spent three seasons as the primary starter for the Chicago Bears, Fields was traded to the Steelers in May 2024 in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick.

The trade occurred less than a week after the Steelers signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal.

The Steelers informed Fields at the time of the trade that Wilson was in "pole position" to be QB1 during the 2024 season, but Fields said he planned to compete for the position, ESPN's Brooke Pryor reported last May.

Wilson then suffered a calf injury that sidelined him for the beginning of the season, opening the door for Fields to start.

Fields led the Steelers to a 3-0 season-opening record, throwing just one pick and scoring three total touchdowns over a span strong enough to make head coach Mike Tomlin say in ahead of Week 5 that Fields could "potentially" remain QB1 even after Wilson returned.

But Tomlin ultimately decided to switch to Wilson after Week 6, making the first time in the Super Bowl era a team has benched an uninjured quarterback after a start of 4-2 or better, per NFL Research and NFL.com's Grant Gordon.

Steelers owner Art Rooney II said in January his "preference" would be to bring back either Fields or Wilson, but likely not both.

Amid the team's reportedly fractured relationship with Wilson, Fields could've chosen to resume his fight for the starting job in Pittsburgh.

But the Steelers' offer did not include any guaranteed money after the first year of the contract, per CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala. And by the time the news of Fields signing with the Jets broke on March 10, ESPN's Adam Schefter had already reported the Steelers were interested in pursuing Aaron Rodgers.

Rather than risk putting himself in another QB1 battle with a veteran quarterback, Fields opted to join a team where he is, at least for now, the presumptive starter heading into the 2025 season.