Remember when the Steelers decided to bench Justin Fields even after he led them to a 4-2 start in the absence of Russell Wilson? Yeah, that seemed a bit harsh, didn’t it? Russ was just coming off his darkest chapter in the NFL with Denver and a calf injury that ruled him for the first 6 weeks. There were even doubts about whether he can continue helping the Steelers maintain their strong start to the season.

However, look at them now: the Steelers are 9-3, and Wilson is 5-1 on the games he has started since Fields was sacked to the bench. But here’s the difference. Although Wilson has definitely helped the Steelers continue their charge toward the playoffs, Fields hasn’t been overlooked completely. Instead, he has often chipped in with crucial contributions whenever the Steelers call upon him.

Well, he was also seen celebrating with Russell Wilson against the Bengals, which didn’t go down well in the eyes of former linebacker Emmanuel Acho. Expressing his thoughts on FS1, Acho called Fields ‘Anti-American’ for humbly accepting his role behind the nine-time Pro Bowler, “Justin Fields didn’t play the entirety of the game. And hey, when we need you in the most important moment, come out here and celebrate with the person who took your job. That’s Anti-American. You don’t celebrate when you lose your job. You celebrate when you win your job.

So Acho wanted to point out the game-sealing moment in the fourth quarter vs the Bengals. Even though Wilson did the hard part by racking up 414 yards with 3 TDs and an interception, he didn’t finish the game last Sunday. In his place, Fields was brought on, and his seven-yard run helped the Steelers clinch the victory 44-38. With only a minute left on the clock, the Steelers sideline jumped with joy as they congratulated Fields.

And this wasn’t the only instance of Mike Tomlin using Fields to close out games. He called upon him to run down the clock against the Ravens in week 11. But it doesn’t look like Fields would get another chance to start in Pittsburgh. So, will he remain at the club even if the Steelers go deep into the playoffs?

Will Justin Fields accept a backup role in Pittsburgh next season?

Seeing Justin Fields not being limited to the bench got former NFL coach Tony Dungy praising Mike Tomlin. Taking to his X, Dungy wrote, “Russell Wilson with 414 yds passing and 3 TDs. Justin Fields with a big 3rd down run to ice the game for Pittsburgh in a big win over Cincinnati. Steelers go to 9-3 to stay in 1st place in the AFC North. Mike Tomlin is using these QBs in the right way.” Well, it’s true. There are very limited instances of NFL coaches using dual QBs in a revolving role.

Although one of them has found his role limited, the Steelers still continue their dominance on the pitch. But it’s still highly unlikely that Fields would settle for a backup role in black and gold. Because of the way Wilson is playing, it doesn’t look like he will be benched anytime soon. Just go through the comments he made after racking his career-best numbers against the Bengals, “I just turned 36 the other day. I feel like I’m 26. Maybe I’m 30.”

As Wilson continues to find his mojo back with the Steelers Nation. It doesn’t feel right that Fields would stay at a place where his performances weren’t valued enough. His passer rating of 93.3, with just a single interception for 10 TDs, has been completely overlooked. Well, it all depends upon the Steelers whether they are willing to put their chips behind a 36-year-old. Or will they look to the future and convince Fields, 26, to stay as he looks to enter free agency next season? Guess we will find out soon as the Steelers march on to claim the AFC North title this season.