If the Pittsburgh Steelers are planning to utilize quarterback Justin Fields in an entirely new role, running back Jaylen Warren may have let the cat out of the bag.
During a guest appearance on The Not Just Football draft special, Warren shared with co-hosts Cameron Heyward and Hayden Walsh that Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith suggested Fields could be one of the team’s kickoff returners.
“Our special teams coordinator was talking about Justin Fields being back there. We’re like, ‘Hold up, hold up,’” Warren told Heyward and Walsh. “We looked at him like, ‘Justin Fields is about to be back there?’ I don’t know. I think it’s cool.”
Fields has certainly been dynamic enough to justify his use as a kickoff returner. In three seasons with the Chicago Bears, he averaged 6.2 yards per carry and scored 14 touchdowns. In 2022, Fields ran for 1,143 yards while posting a league-high 7.1 yards per rush average.
But using a quarterback on special teams is highly unusual mostly because of the high-risk of injury.
“Smith, who has been the Steelers’ special teams coordinator since 2013, is known for being an innovative mind, but this is more out-of-the-box than usual,” wrote ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
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