The Steelers’ red-zone woes have been one of the hottest topics in football, and it appears as though everyone has a way to fix them. One of the wildest? Justin Fields potentially stepping in for Russell Wilson as the starter under center. That’s the buzz coming from CBS Sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, who claimed, “it’s totally within the realm of possibility that Justin Fields” could take over under center for Pittsburgh at some point this season.
But Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger has an entirely different take on how the team should use Fields—and it’s got nothing to do with him playing quarterback full-time.
Big Ben’s Outside-the-Box Plan
On his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast, the future Hall of Famer threw out an idea that was a bit unconventional: Line Fields up as a wide receiver.
“Line him up at receiver a couple times,” Roethlisberger said, via Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot. “Put him at different spots. Because what that does, even if you don’t do anything with it, again, anytime that you can force an opponent to spend five minutes on something that they might never see, it takes them away from preparing for what they will see.”
It’s a fascinating notion. Big Ben isn’t advocating Fields’ development into the second coming of Taysom Hill Swiss Army knife for the New Orleans Saints—instead, the Steelers use Fields situationally to keep defenses guessing.
Fields already saw limited action during the Steelers’ 24-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns last Thursday, playing eight snaps as part of a special package. As ESPN’s Brooke Pryor noted, this wasn’t about Fields dominating the playbook—it was about adding some wrinkles to keep the Browns guessing.
Roethlisberger extended that philosophy, detailing how lining Fields up as a receiver could create mental chaos for opponents. “Having him a receiver now makes you think like, ‘OK, are they gonna throw it to him? Are they gonna run a reverse pass to him?'” he said.
It’s all about planting seeds of doubt. Even if Fields doesn’t touch the ball, the mere threat of his involvement forces the defense to prepare for scenarios they might never face.
A Balancing Act for Tomlin
Of course, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has a delicate decision to make. Pittsburgh is still in the hunt for a division title, and Fields could be an ace up their sleeve—whether as a gadget player or, if things really go south, as the starting quarterback.
Roethlisberger cautioned against overusing Fields in gimmicky situations. “I like the Fields package,” he said. “It can’t be every third-and-short or every fourth-and-short. It has to be used kind of sparingly and at the right time.”
The Steelers face the 4-7 Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday, and Tomlin might need to get creative to keep the offense moving. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Steelers are three-point underdogs, making this a pivotal game for Pittsburgh’s playoff push.
The Big Picture
Whether Fields remains a trick-play specialist or gets another shot at quarterback, one thing’s clear: Pittsburgh needs answers in the red zone. Big Ben’s idea might sound unconventional, but it might be crazy enough to work.
With the Steelers still in contention and the offense not quite taking flight yet, many fans will be watching with eyes wide open to see whether Tomlin takes Roethlisberger’s advice or Fields ends up staying on the sideline as Pittsburgh navigates this crucial stretch of the season.
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