Steelers' Justin Fields Draws Hall of Fame Comparison

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields received a favorable comparison based on his performance this season.

Sep 22, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) throws a pass while under pressure from Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu (45) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

After leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers and 3-0 record to start the season, quarterback Justin Fields received high praise from former NFL head coach Rex Ryan.

In a Monday morning appearance on ESPN's Get Up, Ryan compared him to Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young, stating that he believes Fields is just getting started and has a boatload of potential moving forward.

"Now he becomes one of the most scariest players in the National Football League," Ryan said. "When you talk about that athlete now he’s becoming a better quarterback than athlete—when you’re thinking about it in the past, you’re thinking—I’m not saying he’s Steve Young, but it’s Steve Young.

It took time to develop. And when you hit on these guys, you hit with a spectacular player. I always called him the future, because I thought this guy’s future was unbelievable and you know what? It looks like it’s going to be.”

When the Steelers acquired Fields from the Chicago Bears in March, the expectation was that he'd sit behind Russell Wilson, whom the team signed in free agency, and take a redshirt year of sorts while developing and potentially becoming the team's quarterback of the future.

He was thrown into action earlier than expected, however, when Wilson went down with a calf injury at the beginning of training camp. Fields took the lion's share of first-team reps in team drills during practice, and impressed to the extent that a battle for the starting job between the two players unexpectedly emerged.

Wilson was eventually named the starter leading into the regular season, but a reaggravation of his calf sidelined him ahead of Pittsburgh's Week 1 contest against the Atlanta Falcons.

As a result, Fields was put in control of the offense and hasn't looked back since. He's currently in the midst of the first three-game winning streak of his career while posting 518 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Fields has shown flashes of brilliance as a former first-round pick in the past, but he's never looked quite as polished and poised as he does in Pittsburgh. It's hard to see how Wilson can reclaim his job this season, as Fields looks like the future for the Steelers.

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