When Justin Fields began sliding down the 2021 NFL Draft, fans of the Steelers had somewhat of a subconscious thought: What if Pittsburgh traded up for him?

Although the team wound up staying at Pick No. 24 to nab Najee Harris, the dreams of the former Ohio State signal-caller donning the black and gold were never put to bed. Now, they’ve come to reality after the Steelers added Fields in exchange for a conditional sixth-rounder.

Once believed to be the savior of a Bears franchise that’s had scant (if any) success under center, Fields’ tenure in Chicago did not go as anticipated. Fields never made a Pro Bowl, not even eclipsing 2,600 passing yards or 18 touchdowns in a season. As a franchise, the Bears went 11-29 when Fields saw the field, earning the No. 1 overall pick in 2022.

Bears GM Ryan Poles had a rather no-brainer decision when picking atop the draft for the second straight year: reset the team’s window by adding a new, and more talented, rookie quarterback on a cheap contract instead of keeping Fields. Although a considerable number of Bears players and fans lobbied for Fields’ return, the logistics of it were sketchy at best. Another factor: Fields’ inconsistent play in the Windy City.

There’s no question that the 25-year-old quarterback has areas to improve if he wants to crack another NFL starting lineup, whether in Pittsburgh or elsewhere. At the same time, the abilities he displayed over the last three years indicate that a fresh start, paired with his unbelievable physical capabilities, mean that there’s more meat left on the bone.

This statement might sound absurd or not depending on the view of Ben Roethlisberger toward the end of his career. But I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Fields is the most talented quarterback the Steelers have rostered since 2018.

Fields had a slew of fans coming out of Columbus in 2021, and many of the traits that won over many have been demonstrated in his three years in the league. The first is his tremendous arm strength. Fields’ live arm allows him to sling lasers in tight windows, plus still complete passes even when he’s late on reads.

Beyond that, Fields has displayed the skill of throwing off-platform and from different angles, which only adds more tools to his arsenal. It’s also impressive watching him throw on the run: whether rolling left or right, Fields seems comfortable rolling out and slinging it.

You may have been able to tell from the clips above, but Fields’ talents make him a tremendous fit on play action, specifically in the boot game. Given Arthur Smith’s proclivity for using play action, that makes Fields especially appealing.

Another big plus with Fields in the pocket is his ability to withstand pressure — effectively, another asset that makes him the antithesis of Kenny Pickett. Fields remains calm (almost too relaxed) with rushers bearing down, such as on this dart to D.J. Moore on third down against the Broncos.

Here’s more good work from No. 1 on mesh, waiting to allow Moore to cross and thus hit him in stride for a big gain.

It’s long been understood that attacking the middle of the field is one of the more efficient and effective methods of passing in the modern NFL. Even though Fields’ rate of passes beyond the line of scrimmage between the numbers (27%) was lower than Russell Wilson’s (29.1%) last season, the former has still shown he’s capable of reading the MOF. Below are three good examples of Fields using play action and then hitting a strike over the middle.

The most tantalizing element of Fields as a passer is his uncanny skill of creating when something breaks down. It felt like at least once per game, Fields had a “wow” throw because of evading pressure, running all over and firing an air-tight dot for a massive, momentum-changing play.

This touchdown against Cleveland might go as a six-yard pass, but the effort was significantly better than that.

Or, try this evasion of Preston Smith which turns into a bullet to Cole Kmet — between two defenders and rolling left.

This stuff shouldn’t look nearly as easy as Fields makes it seem, but it’s a pretty regular part of his game. His big-time throw rate tied for 10th in the league last year, and it’s not hard to see why.

I think it’s also critical to note that some of Fields’ inconsistencies as a passer were not entirely his fault. OC Luke Getsy received plenty of flak from those in Chicago over the course of the year, but the tape revealed that many of his route concepts — trying to push way too far downfield situationally with little confusion for defenses — were problematic.

Also, Fields’ offensive line, especially at left tackle, created pretty consistent pressure. Granted, some was due to him hanging on to the ball far too long, which I’ll address shortly. Yet the QB was pressured on 48.8% of throws, which led the NFL last year (min. 100 dropbacks).

If you enjoyed watching Fields’ prowess as a passer, his running is that much better. Combining his lower-body strength, acceleration and tackle-breaking ability, Fields is genuinely one of the best runners in the league, regardless of position. His 0.21 EPA/rush — which ranked 4th among players with 62+ carries in 2023, per Sumer Sports — reflects that.

Fields isn’t afraid to tuck it and run to make something happen on a late down; his 360 scramble yards were fourth-most last year. I’d venture to say that he’s such a good runner that his legs can even mitigate a situation in which he waits too long for things to develop.

Likewise, Fields is a legitimate asset in a team’s run gameplanning. These two cutups indicate how dangerous Fields can be when the ball is placed immediately in his hands as a runner — whether through a pin and pull, sweep, draw or power.

Put simply, defenders absolutely must respect Fields on the ground in the open field. He’s able to leverage that split-second hesitation by defenders on situations like this, where he can draw bodies but still throw.

Much of this piece has praised Fields and the tape he put together last year, as well as throughout his tenure in Chicago. At the same time, there are definitely reasons why the Bears moved on that can’t be glossed over.

Fields’ biggest problem builds on itself: taking too long to make reads or decisions, which then gets him in trouble.

In terms of the first leg of that, there were countless times when a receiver seemed open but Fields opted to hold onto the ball. It’s one of the factors why he led the entire league in average time to throw last year. Consider this curl to Darnell Mooney — right near the sticks on third down — which he stares down but for some reason doesn’t throw.

As a consequence of Fields waiting too long to make a throw, he can allow pressure to creep in and/or materialize into a sack. He ranked seventh among passers with 100+ dropbacks in allowed pressure rate at 17.6%, meaning that he himself was responsible for allowing rushers to get home a considerable amount. For as good as he is at evading defenders, he sometimes forces himself to get crunched by being idle, as he does here.

The other side of the token with Fields’ processing being delayed is that he tries to compensate for it by trusting his arm too much — which leads to passes that can be intercepted.

On this clip in Green Bay, Fields is late getting his head around to Kmet, who has space on an out-and-up on a scramble drill. As a result, the pass is almost picked.

Much of the same applies to this play against the Browns, where Mooney has some space/leverage but Fields rips far too late, enabling M.J. Emerson to have a would-be interception.

What can’t be neglected with Fields are the turnover numbers. He had just one fewer turnover-worthy play (51) than big-time throw (52) with the Bears, and his 38 fumbles were five more than any other player since 2021. Fields’ game involves making mistakes, some of them backbreaking — like this game-ending INT against the Broncos. Granted, it did seem that Kmet stopped running across the field, but there appeared better decisions.

The bottom line is that Fields needs to hasten his delivery and hold on to the ball better if he wants to have another chance at starting, let alone be a high-end quarterback. His play on third down also needs to improve.

Barring either an injury or very subpar play from Wilson, it seems unlikely that Fields will have that chance for revision in Pittsburgh as a starter. However, his raw talent hasn’t diminished, and, if anything, it’s started to materialize into jaw-dropping plays on an NFL field.

The Steelers would be unwise to throw Fields’ ceiling to the wayside for the sake of satisfying Wilson’s desires. With both (presumably) on one-year deals, it’s about starting the better player, regardless of veteran status or March promises. In a system like Smith’s especially, Fields is certainly capable of thriving if he decreases his down-to-down variance. There’s a real probability that Fields, not Wilson, gives the Steelers their best chance at excelling in 2024.

The bottom line: given his draft status, age and athleticism, it feels foolish to treat Fields like other young starters who have failed to reach expectations. He should have another chance to start, and Pittsburgh — where Fields can sit under Wilson, be coached by a veteran OC and play with a solid all-around offense — shouldn’t let that go to waste.