In football practice, there’s an unwritten rule: don’t touch the quarterback. However, during yesterday’s training camp, a few Pittsburgh Steelers defenders disregarded this rule, leading to the first major scuffle of the camp.
The incident happened during the last team period of practice. QB Justin Fields was running a read-option play when he was hit by linebacker Elandon Roberts and cornerback Beanie Bishop, causing him to fall to the ground.
This led to a brawl involving several players, including Joey Porter Jr., Troy Fautanu, and Mason McCormick. Head coach Mike Tomlin was not pleased with the situation.
“We got a bit unprofessional and chippy today,” Tomlin remarked. “It’s a chance to teach and learn. It’s part of the process, and although we dislike it, we’ll use it to grow.”
Despite the coaching staff’s discontent, star linebacker T.J. Watt saw some positives in the team’s aggression. “As long as there’s a good intention behind it,” said Watt, who was resting and observed the fight from a distance. “Sometimes you need to stir things up to see what we’re made of as a team. That’s all it was today. We don’t want it to disrupt practice.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers are considering Justin Fields as a serious candidate for the starting quarterback role, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Although Fields needs to improve to surpass Russell Wilson, the team remains open to his potential.
Graziano notes that the Steelers’ minimal financial commitment to either quarterback indicates no inherent bias. Currently, the Steelers are paying Russell Wilson a base salary of $1.21 million, while Justin Fields will earn $1.62 million next season. The team’s lack of prior ties to either player and their modest financial investment suggest that the competition for the starting spot is genuinely competitive.
