The 2025 NFL schedule release has left many interesting storylines. One of the most intriguing ones is the Week 1 game between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, with Justin Fields set to face his former team in his first year after parting with Mike Tomlin and company.
And even though there’s months to go before that game, Tomlin and the Steelers have already been warned about Fields‘ mindset. During a recent appearance on the Jets official podcast, former NFL wide receiver Quincy Enunwa suggested that this game will lit a fire in the quarterback.
“I don’t think there’s any animosity for [Justin Fields] against the Steelers,” Enunwa said, via Steeler Nation. “But I know from what he’s spoken about, they didn’t let him be his best self at quarterback, right? There was a little bit of they didn’t have confidence in him to be the starter. They didn’t give him the reins to just go ahead and do everything he wanted to do.”
Tomlin was forced to start Fields for the first six weeks of the 2024 NFL season due to Russell Wilson’s calf injury. But as soon as the veteran was cleared to return, Fields got benched. According to Enunwa, Fields will have a point to prove against his former team.
Quarterback Justin Fields #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers walks off the field after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers at Acrisure Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“So I think he wants to go out there and show like, ‘This is what I’m capable of.‘ One thing I like about [Aaron Glenn] is that he’s putting a lot of confidence in his coaches, so we’re going to see, hopefully, the best version of him because they’re going to coach him hard.”
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Justin Fields holds no grudges against Tomlin, Steelers
Even though he didn’t get the playing time he expected in Pittsburgh, Fields showed no hard feelings towards Tomlin for his situation last year. Instead, he took that experience as a big lesson for his career.
“Coach [Mike] Tomlin made a decision he thought was best for the team, and I’m never going to go against that,” Fields said in his first press conference after joining the Jets in April. “I’m not a selfish guy whatsoever, so I just tried to change my perspective, get better each and every day in practice.”
“You can’t take things personal. That’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, not to take anything personal. At the end of the day, I was just excited of what the Jets had going on here with AG [Aaron Glenn] and just with the coaching staff, so it didn’t really have anything to do with Pittsburgh.”
Fields excited to play under Glenn in NY
Even though the Steelers reportedly wanted him back for the 2025 NFL season, Fields opted to sign a two-year, $40 million deal with the Jets in free agency. Far from blaming Tomlin for his exit, he credited newly hired Jets HC Aaron Glenn for his decision.
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“I think No. 1, it was Aaron Glenn,” Fields said. “I’ve played against him early in my career. I know how passionate he is about the game, the way he coaches, the way his players play. So I think that was the biggest thing for me. And just the opportunity, the fans, of course, the city. When you win here, there’s no better place to win. Those reasons are why I ultimately ended up here.”
