You know the feeling when a rookie pulls a fast one on you? Yeah, it stings—just ask Cam Heyward. After the Steelers’ 2021 face-off with the Bears (29-27), he was all too ready to dish on how Justin Fields turned him into a highlight reel blooper. 

“You made me look terrible,” Heyward exclaimed on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast, and you could practically hear the wince through the screen. Let’s rewind to that game. Fields had a pick on the star DT earlier in their encounters, but what really left the veteran fuming was when he got shook off like a pesky fly. “I will say he shook me off a sack, and I was hot after the game,” Heyward admitted. “I was like, damn, I’m supposed to have this sack! And man, you made me look terrible. It was not a good play by me, and I’m glad we won that game ‘cause I was hot!” Talk about a tough pill to swallow for the seasoned vet!

And Fields? He was stunned, too. “I couldn’t believe it, because that’s never happened to me before. This man just caught it. I’m like, what?” Seriously, if there’s one thing every player hates, it’s a nasty surprise from a rookie QB. Fields went on to chuckle about the lead-up to that game, saying, “Bro, I swear OTAs in training camp is the most I’ve ever gotten the ball batted down ever in practice. Now that makes sense why you pick the ball off and stuff like that.”

As the clock ticked down, the tension in Pittsburgh’s locker room was thicker than a cold Chicago wind. “After… um, we just couldn’t believe what happened,” Heyward recalled, still in disbelief. Picture this: under a minute left, the Steelers score a late touchdown, and suddenly, the locker room’s splitting up. They thought they had it in the bag. “Then, flag boom! Y’all get a first down, and next thing you know, a big play,” the Ohio State Buckeyes standout detailed, shaking his head. 

Let’s not forget—it was Monday Night Football. The lights blazed, the stakes soared, and the heartbreak was palpable. The rookie QB hit the field, and with a flick of his wrist, the Bears snagged a dramatic win, leaving Steel City nursing its wounds. 

But there’s a silver lining: HC Mike Tomlin kept it real, declaring there’s no need to make Justin Fields QB1.

Justin Fields QB1 status 

As Fields leads Pittsburgh into battle against the Colts, Mike Tomlin’s still not ready to make him QB1. “Because there’s no need.”—that’s what coach Tomlin said, brushing off questions about Fields taking the starting QB crown. 

We know Fields has been on fire, leading the Steelers to a flawless 3-0 start. Last week? The Buckeyes champ was phenomenal against the Chargers—going 25 of 32 for 245 yards—with two TDs. “Justin’s played well, and that’s exciting for him and for us,” the Steelers’ HC acknowledged, but don’t think for a second he’s ready to hand over the keys to the kingdom just yet.

Russell Wilson’s calf’s still acting up like a stubborn teen. And so, Tomlin wants Fields focused on the task at hand. “As we walk in the building tomorrow, I want Justin singularly focused on starting for us,” he insisted. It sounds supportive, but Tomlin’s vagueness about Wilson’s status’ is like trying to decipher a riddle. “We’ll know when we get there,” he teased, leaving fans and reporters guessing.

For now, all attention is on Justin Fields, and the Steelers are riding a wave of momentum. Will Russ make a comeback? Not sure. But one thing’s certain: with Tomlin pulling the strings, the plot’s bound to thicken!