Ex-NFL RB not buying into early Justin Fields hype after 1 Steelers practice

Mike Moraitis

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Ex-NFL RB not buying into early Justin Fields hype after 1 Steelers practice image

The Pittsburgh Steelers took the field for their first training camp practice on Thursday but were missing a key player in quarterback Russell Wilson, who is expected to be the starter in Week 1.

With Wilson out with calf tightness, Justin Fields got the first-team reps and managed to connect on some deep balls in the process. And, that sent a lot of people who saw the clips into a frenzy, with some proclaiming it was just a matter of time before Fields jumps Wilson on the depth chart.

One of the people to overreact after just one practice (and really, just one throw) was former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel, who said Fields will be the starter by October after seeing just one of the deep balls Fields threw in practice.

Lest we forget, Fields had everyone calling him the future MVP of the league after a single screen pass that went for a long touchdown in the 2023 preseason contest against the Tennessee Titans. Look how that turned out.

Someone who isn't buying into the hype after just one practice is former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, who had this to say on FOX Sports 1 on Friday morning.

“No," McCoy responded when asked if Fields will take Wilson's job. "Why? Because there are some clips of him throwing a deep ball? I guess a corner blitz and the safety is chasing the wide receiver. What are we talking about? I like Russell Wilson as the starter and I like for Justin Fields to be the backup and learn a little bit.”

That is exactly the type of level-headed analysis that's needed in a situation like this.

Now, that's not to say Wilson won't stumble and open the door for Fields to start at some point. But it's going to take a lot more than just one practice and a few nice deep balls for the Steelers to move off Wilson and on to Fields.

Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis Photo

After cutting his teeth with Bleacher Report, Mike Moraitis has covered the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans for FanSided, and the Titans and New York Giants for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. On top of his duties with Sporting News, Mike is the managing editor and lead writer for Titans Wire.