A BEAUTIFUL DAY ☀️ Justin Fields is the FUTURE of the Steelers! - Stephen A. Smith | First Take

the drama it's on in the steel city so

do you feel like a quarterback

controversy is just inevitable well it's

inevitable because I don't think that

there's much separation between Russell

Wilson and Justin Fields I have no

problem with Russell Wilson starting the

season you're giving a veteran a Super

Bowl champion a nine-time pro bowler the

nod to start off the season and after

all he's the one you acquired in free

agency allbe it for just $1.2 million

Shannon when I'm looking at Justin

Fields I'm saying okay you improved last

year based off of what we saw the

previous two years you were in the

league but you're still 10 and 28 as a

starter you only completed about 61% of

your passes 16 touchdowns and nine

interceptions on the entire season isn't

a lot to write home about particularly

if you're now moving to a team that thre

25 touchdowns passes over two seasons

for crying out loud clearly there needs

to be some upgrade we get all of that I

think that Justin Fields with his

athleticism his Mobility his ability to

run with the football and extend plays

with his legs and what have you I think

that's a huge Plus for the Pittsburgh

Steelers obviously his youth he's only

25 years of age I think that comes into

play as well and it is clear for the

moment anyway that Justin Fields is the

future next season however starting game

one you want that veteran you want a guy

with Russell Wilson and let's see what

he does and if he performs well he'll

keep the job for that one season he's in

Pittsburg obviously giving Justin Fields

time to even learn from a veteran and to

be in a much better situation than he

was in Chicago

but there's nothing wrong with Russell

Wilson starting the season and there's

no guarantee that he's there's no

guarantee that he's going to finish game

one of the regular season Shannon let

alone finish the season as the starter

so I got no problems with it whatsoever

you could call it a quarterback

controversy if you want to as far as I'm

concerned it's a significant upgrade I

am a very happy man go as Kenny piy

going

as kki for Wilson and Justin Fields I'm

very happy oh I didn't know if you felt

like one more than the other was a

significant upgrade or equally okay both

all both of them I mean it's a beautiful

day in the Ste City Shannon it's a

beautiful day Shannon they tell me if

you have two quarterbacks you have none

what do you think about this well I

disagree with that I think what what

they were able to do was upgrade their

uh quarterback locker room and it only

cost him $1.2 million in a sixth round

draft pick so you can't beat that both

all both of those quarterback be both of

those quarterbacks are better than

anything they had in the previous

quarterback locker room but I agree with

you Stephen today Russell Wilson is the

quarterback as long as he plays well I

know what they maybe have promised Russ

Russ this is your job but my grandfa

used to say all the time promises a

light pie crust thin and easily broken

if you do not play well Justin Fields is

going to come in and if I'm Justin

Fields I don't care what they told me

I'm coming in and I'm trying to compete

and I'm trying to get better every

single day because look at last year

they had the 25th rank uh strength of

schedule this year is third they won 10

games last year the expectations are if

we got better quarterbacks our record

should be indicative of the better

quarterback play that's not necessarily

true so there's going to be PR pressure

on Russ to play well every single game

knowing that probably the quarterback of

the future because we believe we got our

quarterback this year and we got a 25y

old quarterback that's on our roster

that learns from a veteran quarterback

that goes about his business that can

help him learn the ropes so I love this

move for the Pittsburgh Steelers they

didn't give up a whole lot Chicago you

should have moved on from Justin Fields

last year at the trade deadline because

that's when his value was at the highest

but you let all these his quarterback

Carol cell you let it get filled and you

had to give got a sixth round pick for

Justin Fields but yes it's inevitable

that this is going to happen because do

you believe Russ based on what you've

seen over the last two to three years

can play consistent football throughout

the course of the season that's where I

want just Fields off but before we go

there couple of things couple of things

I want to point out number one okay five

quarterbacks drafted in the 2021 NFL

draft the only one left with their

original team is Trevor Lawrence

everybody else has been moved so let's

get that out the way first secondly that

sixth round pick that they traded for

Justin Fields it can be converted to a

fourth round pick If he if he is uh gets

51% of the snaps or more so we got to

take that into consideration as well

having said all of that I just want to

say this Russell Wilson Russell Wilson

could play Shannon like he played last

year in Denver he could he could sit up

there and play the exact same way and it

was still be damn Heaven compared to

what we've been watching the last two

years and that's what and then not only

that now he got pickings to throw the

football to he got F to throw the

football to he got running backs and

Harris and and and that kid Warren to

run the football right Jaylen Warren's a

bad brother now a brother can play I'm

looking at all of that I'm like I'm very

very happy to okay okay it all sounds

great on paper but what's the Steal

ceiling this season like what what what

are what are we trying to do here

Shannon I'm going to sit up there and

say a divisional playoff I'm not going

to get too happy about the AFC

Championship but could the Steelers get

to the playoff and win a playoff game

yes they can yes they can I believe they

can with that defense you know what

division they're in I just want to be

clear you're aware of how good me like

that Shannon don't you look at me like

that Shan the the AFC it's like arguably

one of the best divisions in football I

just want to make sure he's aware of

that like you know the other

quarterbacks you realize Des Watson was

hurt and and you saw what Cleveland did

with Joe flacko like do you need me to

go through the rest why stri got why St

Patrick got to do me like that got do me

like Joe burrow Watson I know who's in

the division and I just want to temper

your expectations because it was so sad

when you out there with the Knicks and

your pom poms and you remember what

happened that time and I just don't want

to see you heart broken again you know

so the question Stephen go ahead Shannon

at best case scenario where do you think

Russell ranks into the quarterback

division so if you say if you say if

okay he's fourth behind deshun Watson

Joe Burl and Lamar Jackson I'll okay yes

they won 10 games last year so you know

what the expectations because you and

others have said this is a substantial

quarterback upgrade in that room Russell

Wilson Justin Fields compared to what

they have so if they do not win more

let's just say they don't win let's just

say they still make the playoffs another

is that 10 win 10 win they won 10 last

year that's what I'm saying ain't

nothing wrong with going another 10 wins

as long as they get in long as they get

in Shan Bakers can't be choosy right get

in the playoffs get in the playoffs win

one of them damn games and we good have

your Steelers had the best off season

thus far I believe they have Shannon I

believe they have I mean I'm looking at

Queen first of all you've upgraded your

defense and you got somebody to rush the

passer with TJ watt okay you still got

Fitzpatrick and those boys in the

secondary I have no doubt you got Joey

Porter Jr so you got one of your your

Corners solidified there you got to get

another one but I like the Personnel

that they have in places in Elite

defense already offensively let's pay

attention here do I like the fact that

Deontay Johnson is going no they talking

to Mike Williams they're one of the four

teams I think he's going to visit this

week Shannon if I remember correctly I

think the Jets are going to be another

team I think the Carolina Panthers are

going to be another team and I forgot

who else but damn it they a he going up

he going to end up wanting to come to

Pittsburgh now I know he's coming off

the ACL injury so we'll see what he does

okay but you got him okay you just

acknowledge what they could do with the

wide receivers they pluck them wide

receivers out of college better than

anybody right you got this cat pickings

who's all World Fri boo is no joke okay

your offensive line is improved and this

kid jayen waren along with Naji Harris

in the backfield all you needed was a

quarterback somebody would a damn post

behind Center that the opposing defenses

new could be somewhat of a damn threat

that's what they got I would have been

happy if they got one of them never in

my wildest dream Shannon that I believe

they'd get both two quarterbacks that

started at least 11 games last year and

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields one

older now all right possibly looking for

a new contract but we'll see a Super

Bowl champion a nine-time pro bowler and

then you got a cat in Justin Fields who

just 25 years of age all of a sudden the

quarterback room is different now you've

got potential at that spot and all you

paid for was $1.2 million and a sixth

round pick that at worst case scenario

transitions to a fourth round pick if

Justin Fields takes 51% of the snaps I'd

say that's a huge win and I think the

Pittsburgh Steelers have had a better

free agency thus far than

anybody I'm going to disagree I'm going

to say Kansas City because I love the

edition of Hollywood Brown because now

we got that deep threat that we they

have been missing and so now they're not

going to going to have to Dink and dunk

you think about what they did they

resigned Chris Jones who now is the

preeminent no questions about it Aaron

Donald has retired he is the preeminent

D tackle in all of football am I

supposed to count him Shannon am I

supposed where was he going Shannon

where was he going I mean I don't count

that hold on was he a free agent yes or

no yeah yeah okay thank you was

Hollywood like

that hey hey but sometime sometimes

Stephen A it's all about keeping your

guys Drew qu uh tranquil who played

really well came over from the Chargers

last year played himself into a nice

contract see what they're trying to do

is like look we know people we like to

have people in our system that's been in

our system that understands they really

want this three peat now if Mike

Williams if he really wants to try to

get a Super Bowl ring you know he'll

take take a detour and go on and visit

Kansas City can you imagine if Patrick

Mahomes got a big body receiver that's

true I agree with that but last time I

checked that ain't happened so why I can

understand now I might Williams ends up

signing with the Chiefs I would flow

with you but I'm supposed to believe

that with Queen along with Russell

Wilson and Justin Fields with the

Personnel that the Pittsburgh Steelers

have that Hollywood Brown going to the

Kansas City Chiefs is the difference I'm

not falling for that I'm not falling for

that how he had over a th000 yards

playing with uh Lamar he had over 700

800

with the quarter so can you imagine what

now with Patrick having an opportunity

to throw the ball over someone's head

with rasheid rice and Kelsey work in the

middle of the field oh I love this m I

love this steepen let me ask you a

question you can you imagine can we

fantasize of what can we fantasize of

what George Pickins is going to do with

with with with with our quarterback at

that spot how about that Shannon I'm

fantasizing uh whether or not he's going

to give me all the effort every single

snap every single game yeah I fantasize

about that Stephen I do oh let me ask

you a question I'm not I'm not I'm not

I'm I'm not I'm not absolving him from

that kind of stuff we get all of that

yes but you can speak to this better

than most when you got a quarterback

right yes and you looking at that

quarterback room and you looking at an

offensive coordinator that you got

serious questions about with Matt Canada

at the time that did a lot of people

felt that they didn't know what the hell

he was doing and then you got

quarterbacks that you don't believe in

that could lend itself towards level of

frustration where you making more

business decision than football

decisions on the football field I'm not

saying it's right but am I accurate in

in saying that yes yes but also you got

to have to factor in this is Russ like

fourth or fifth offense in the last

three

years yeah that's fair I don't I don't

disagree with that I don't disagree with

that but I I think that people see what

bothers me about the Russ situation is

that people are equating the Denver

situation to Seattle in Seattle you had

Pete Carroll now Russ wanted more

because he wanted to get that bag that

Seattle certainly was not going to give

to him and that's why he facilitated his

own departure and ultimately Gino Smith

coming in there and taking over Denver

was a bit was a bad situation him and

hacket in there was a disaster year one

and year two the residue of what they

had done was so egregious that sha

Payton couldn't stand them and that had

a lot to do with that kind of stuff

that's not about oh Russell Wilson can't

play it was about a situation in Seattle

they weren't willing to invest in him

but so much long term and in Denver you

had him and a coach who were oil and

water true Stephen A I think the mistake

the only mistake yeah we can look back

and say hi Insight what they gave up to

get him okay but Denver did not have to

extend Russ he still had two years how

about say you know what Russ we really

want you because if you look at the

draft Capital that we gave up to get you

that should signify that we want you but

we're going to let you play one year

well if you plays one year now you're

not going to do the long-term deal now

you say Okay Russ you're going to have

to play this this fifth year and we'll

see what happens after that but when you

gave up what you gave up to get him and

now you releasing with 85 million uh uh

dead cap money there is nobody you can

go out and get in the free agent Market

because they're going to eat up 50% to

70% of the available cap space that you

have left so that was that was the you

compounded you exacerbated a problem

that you already had had by giving up

what you gave up and then you have that

dead cap space Stephen A that you can't

go out and get anybody else that's

adequate to play the

[Music]

position