Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Defends Justin Fields

A former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback believes Justin Fields should remain the team's starter.

Oct 13, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

With the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense headed back in the right direction after a reinforcing Week 6 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Ben Roethlisberger believes the starting quarterback job should belong to Justin Fields for the rest of the season.

hOn the latest episode of his Footbahlin podcast, Roethlisberger stated that he was impressed by Fields' pocket presence and ability to maneuver in the backfield while extending plays, which isn't an element that Russell Wilson can provide to the Steelers at this stage in his career.

"I think he's doing enough," Roethlisberger said. "You saw with his legs especially, making things happen, creating. And not necessarily this time wasn't designed quarterback runs. It was him extending a play, stepping up in the pocket, and just keeping the play alive. I thought he played well ... I just think what you're gonna get from Russ is more pocket presence to throw the ball down the field, but you're not gonna get that extend the play like Justin does because he's a running back out there when he decides to run."

After a rough showing in Week 5 versus the Dallas Cowboys, Fields went 14-for-24 through the air against the Raiders while posting 59 yards and two touchdowns on the ground over 11 attempts.

Pittsburgh ended the day with 32 points, its most in a single contest since Week 16 of the 2023 campaign. Fields wasn't perfect, particularly in the passing game, but he showed plenty of resilience with a bounce-back performance and led the team to its most dominant performance of the year.

Wilson, who was active for the first time all season in Las Vegas, is now healthy enough to reenter the conversation as the Steelers' starter, but it would come as a surprise if the team decided to ouster Fields given his season-long eminence.

Roethlisberger explained that if Pittsburgh were to make the change, it could damage Fields' psyche and lower his level of play should they have to call on him later in the year.

"Where I think you have to be careful is, if you make that change or switch, you're basically gonna take his confidence and shoot his confidence down," Roethlisberger said. "If [Wilson] happens to get hurt, now you're asking your quarterback that you just, in a sense, benched to come back in ... If you're gonna do it, you better be super certain you're gonna stay with that guy the rest of the season, because just going back and forth, that's not a good look."

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!

• Steelers Miss Out on Davante Adams
• Insider: Steelers Have More Confidence in Younger QB
• Steelers' George Pickens, Brandon Aiyuk Lead NFL in Unflattering Stat
• Steelers Might Regret Najee Harris Decision
• Steelers Stars Take Over In Win Over Raiders