After playing for the Chicago Bears between 2021–2023, Justin Fields was acquired by the Pittsburgh Steelers, which made him teammates with veteran LB, TJ Watt. However, Fields is not convinced of Watt’s self-proclaimed quarterback abilities despite the Steelers sitting at the top in the AFC North with three victories and zero losses.
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Taking to the podcast Not Just Football with Steelers DT, Cam Heyward, Fields did not hesitate to laughingly mention how Watt may be a top-notch linebacker. But, for the veteran, playing in the QB position — particularly in the ultra-competitive high school football scene of Texas — is a completely different story altogether.
“We have a guy in TJ Watt, yeah, who says he could play quarterback. He goes back to high school, plays quarterback, and wins a state championship in Texas. Is that possible?,” Heyward posed the question to Fields.
Without missing a beat, Fields dismissed Watt’s confidence in having QB skills with a grin.
Well, Field’s opinion is because Texas has a massive high school football culture and the competition is fierce. It is one of the most challenging places in the USA to win.
Elaborating, Texas is the breeding ground of aspiring NCAA football and NFL stars. Fields, who has played at the highest level, knows the kind of skills a QB needs to succeed in the Lone Star state.
But the Steelers DT was not yet done with stirring the pot. As Fields rejected the notion of Watt playing in the QB position and leading the team for a state championship in Texas, the Steeler’s new star straightforwardly said how the LB can try his luck in a less competitive state like Montana or the Dakotas.
“Maybe, Montana or something like that. South Dakota, North Dakota, maybe. TJ can’t go play QB and win a championship in Texas. I’m sorry, brother, you can’t do that. I don’t believe in you. I don’t,” Fields made the non-nonsense statement.
Speaking of which, in another segment of the podcast, Fields looked back at his own experiences coming up as a top high school quarterback at Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Georgia before joining Georgia in 2018.
Fields talks about Elite 11’s fading impact
Before diving into giving his two cents about veteran LB TJ Watt’s QB skills, Justin Fields, who made his debut in the NFL in 2021, shared memories of attending Elite 11. It is a QB competition for high school players where the best ones in the country compete.
Back during his high school days, winning the Elite 11 MVP was a huge deal, and it was Fields’ dream to clinch one. However, as per Fields, times have changed, and how Elite 11 does not carry the same weight that it did.
“I feel like it’s different now. Literally, my dream coming up in high school was to win the Elite 11 MVP. It was such a big thing back then when they did the opening, and you wanted to get invited to Oregon,” recalled Fields.
He feels in today’s era, QB camps like Elite 11, which have alumni including Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence, Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, and Jayden Daniels, are more of a status symbol rather than tangible help in making it to the next level.
