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Steelers' Offensive Line Stood Up for Justin Fields After Physical Hit at Training Camp

The Steelers offensive line had Fields's back.

Tim Capurso

A scuffle breaks out after quarterback Justin Fields was hit to the ground at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on July 31, 2024.
A scuffle breaks out after quarterback Justin Fields was hit to the ground at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on July 31, 2024. / Screengrab Twitter @Alex_Kozora

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line has quarterback Justin Fields's back. If that wasn't already clear, it was made apparent by the position group's actions after a play during the club's training camp session at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., on Wednesday.

Fields, carrying the ball on a read option play, was hit hard to the ground by Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts, a physical play that Pittsburgh offensive linemen Mason McCormick and Troy Fautanu took exception to.

Both linemen went after Roberts and a shoving match ensued, with others, such as cornerback Joey Porter Jr., also involved in the scrum.

Football coaches generally like to see teammates coming to the defense of another like this, especially when it's the quarterback. And both Fautanu and McCormick, rookie linemen the Steelers selected in the first and fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, respectively, responded like veterans.

The scrum comes amidst a training camp battle between Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson and Fields, who received some extra first-team reps with Wilson dealing with a calf injury last week. Wilson is expected to be the team's starter, with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin telling the media back in March at the AFC coaches' breakfast that the veteran is in the "pole position" when it comes to his status.

Whoever is under center will have personal bodyguards in the Steelers' offensive line.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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