The "Justin Fields: Kick-off returner" story predictably took off last month when Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren said that special teams coordinator Danny Smith floated the idea during a meeting.
It was never a real idea the Steelers were pondering, and Fields put an end to that discussion Tuesday.
“Nah, I’m not here to do that,” Fields said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It was kind of a joke, to be honest with you.”
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Fields admitted Smith brought his name up in a team meeting, but it was a coach-speak moment and not a legitimate idea being batted around.
“Nah, I think everybody kind of interpreted it wrong,” Fields told Batko. “Coach Danny was basically just trying to send a message that no matter who you are, you could be on special teams. He just used that as an example.
“It’s funny how serious social media takes everything,” Fields said. “It was kind of funny to me when everybody was making a big deal about it for no reason.”
After three years under the microscope as the Bears' starting quarterback, Fields hopes to resurrect his career in Pittsburgh with the Steelers. He told reporters last week that the Steelers were the team he wanted the Bears to trade him to and that general manager Ryan Poles did right by him in sending him to Pittsburgh for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick in March.
Bears News
Fields has arrived in Pittsburgh ready to relaunch his career. He will start his Steelers tenure as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart behind Russell Wilson.
But he plans to push the veteran signal-caller for the starting position by doing whatever is necessary.
Except for returning kicks.