Justin Fields is preparing to make his third consecutive start for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Traded to Pittsburgh in March of 2024, the former Chicago Bears starting quarterback is currently 2-0 with the Steelers, who are sitting alone atop the AFC North.
The Bears drafted Fields’ replacement, rookie Caleb Williams, No. 1 overall, and so far through two games, Williams has struggled immensely. In a September 18 interview with Fox News Digital, Fields was asked for his thoughts about how he thinks Williams will perform over the remainder of the season. Fields’ response was a strong and supportive one.
“I think he’s going to be fine,” Fields told Fox News Digital. “It’s his second game. He just got done playing. He’s talented, he has all the talent in the world. They drafted him No. 1 overall for a reason.”
“Of course, it’s just not him, but he’s going to get most of the blame just because of the position he’s in,” Fields added. “But just as a whole … the guys over there I know … they want to be better, and I think they’re going to be better.”
Justin Fields Says Caleb Williams Will ‘Be Fine’
One word on Caleb Williams so far:
R-E-L-A-X
The NFL is an adjustment and he will keep improving every game.
Just remember, when the lion gets out of the cage… there is no getting him back in 🤫
Fields spent his first three seasons with the Bears, where he lacked quality offensive playmakers his first two years. The team traded for receiver DJ Moore in 2023, which helped, but the Bears also had the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft due to a trade with the Carolina Panthers. General manager Ryan Poles elected to move on from Fields and use the pick on Williams.
Time will tell whether it was the right move for Chicago.
“I’m hoping that they start getting [the things] done on offense that they need to do. [Caleb] played two pretty good defenses coming out, so I think he’ll be fine,” Fields added.
In two starts this season, Fields has completed 69.8% of his passes for 273 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions, also rushing for 84 yards.
The Bears have a vested interest in how much Fields plays. If he’s on the field for 51% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps, the Bears will receive a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft. If he plays less than 50% of the team’s snaps, that pick remains a sixth-rounder, per the conditions of his trade.
Williams Spoke Candidly About His Recent Gaffes
In his two starts so far, Williams has completed 56.1% of his passes for 267 yards, no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. His accuracy has been all over the place, and he hasn’t had much help from his offensive line — or from the run game. For his part, the rookie QB is taking ownership of his errors.
“I had the two stupid mistakes that won’t happen again,” Williams said on September 18, referring to his two picks. “But I think rhythm, pass game, getting the ball to receivers, I think I got better with getting the ball out of my hands, trying to stay in the right range of timing, the offensive linemen, myself, and the routes, I think those are the few spots I’ve gotten better at.”
The Bears are averaging just over 77 yards a game on the ground, netting 3.5 yards per rush attempt. Williams says he believes the team is on the brink of a break through, particularly where the run game is concerned.
“I think one of the things we’ll be able to do really well soon is be able to run the ball,” Williams added. “I’m trying to figure out which runs exactly fit well with our personnel, the people we have. I think that’s a thing that’s going to emerge here really soon, and having confidence and keeping steadfast with that, you know, with running backs, receivers, tight ends, everybody having confidence that we are going to break through and figure out exactly what our personality is.”
Hopefully for the Bears and their fans, that personality emerges sooner rather than later.
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Justin Fields Speaks on Caleb Williams’ Struggles: He’ll ‘Get Most of the Blame’