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1 of 5 | Quarterback Justin Fields joined nan Pittsburgh Steelers this off-season done a waste and acquisition pinch nan Chicago Bears. File Photo by Mark Black/UPI | License Photo
May 2 (UPI) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers considered utilizing backmost Justin Fields arsenic a footwear returner, moving backmost Jaylen Warren said.
Warren collapsed nan news connected an episode of teammate Cam Heyward's "Not Just Football" podcast, which was released Thursday. He said astir nan anticipation erstwhile answering a mobility astir nan NFL's caller kickoff rules.
"Our typical teams coordinator [Danny Smith] was talking astir Justin Fields being backmost there," Warren said. "We're for illustration 'hold up, clasp up.' We looked astatine him like, 'Justin Fields is astir to beryllium backmost there?' I don't know. I deliberation it's cool."
Fields, 25, joined nan Steelers successful a March waste and acquisition pinch nan Chicago Bears. He is expected to backmost up starter Russell Wilson, who signed pinch nan Steelers this off-season successful free agency.
Fields is known arsenic 1 of nan champion dual-threat quarterbacks successful nan league, but did not return kicks aliases punts successful assemblage aliases done his first 3 years successful nan NFL.
He provided stellar highlights arsenic a runner, particularly successful 2022, erstwhile he ran for 1,143 yards and 8 scores for nan Bears. Fields ran for 178 yards successful a Nov. 6, 2022, nonaccomplishment to nan Miami Dolphins, mounting nan single-game rushing grounds for an NFL quarterback.
Fields is group to go a free supplier adjacent off-season, which could origin a reluctance to activity arsenic a returner because of accrued vulnerability to imaginable injury.
He completed 61.4% of his throws for 2,562 yards, 16 scores and 9 interceptions arsenic a passer past play and would apt person much lucrative offers successful free agency successful 2025 if he were to supply stellar backmost accumulation successful 2024-25 if fixed nan opportunity.
Wilson, who signed a one-year woody successful March, is besides group to deed free agency adjacent off-season.
The nine-time Pro Bowl action and 2014 Super Bowl champion completed 66.4% of his throws for 3,070 yards, 26 scores and 8 interceptions successful 15 starts past play for nan Denver Broncos. He besides ran for 341 yards and 3 scores.
Undrafted free supplier John Rhys Plumlee and seasoned backup backmost Kyle Allen are nan different quarterbacks connected nan Steelers roster.
Cordarrelle Patterson, a four-time All-Pro return ace, signed pinch nan Steelers this off-season. His 9 profession kickoff returns for touchdowns are nan astir successful NFL history. He ranks 3rd successful NFL history pinch an mean of 29.3 yards per footwear return.
