How Justin Fields has surprised Steelers reporter with more than athleticism

Earlier this week, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin mentioned being "surprised" by quarterback Justin Fields's "athleticism " since Pittsburgh acquired him from the Chicago Bears in March.

During the latest edition of the "Bleav in Steelers" podcast, reporter Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggested Fields has improved at least one aspect of his game from where the 25-year-old was this past January.

"Justin Fields' accuracy has been better than I anticipated," Batko explained, as shared by Jeremy Pike of Steelers Depot. "His touch has been better than I anticipated."

Fields wasn't known throughout his Chicago tenure as one of the more accurate quarterbacks in the league. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended the 2023 regular season ranked 30th in the NFL among qualified players with a 61.4% completion percentage and 30th with a 38.4% passing success rate.

The minor calf injury that previously slowed veteran Russell Wilson during training camp allowed Fields to somewhat shorten the gap regarding a quarterback competition that could run through the bulk of the preseason. Former NFL player/executive and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick believes the door is open for Fields to win the job by the end of August.

"I have a feeling, based on my conversations, if Justin can continue to ascend like he is looking in practice, he's gonna start Week 1," Riddick said during a Thursday appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show," per Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "He's gonna be the opening-day starter."

The Athletic's Mike Jones noted that Tomlin approved of Pittsburgh signing Wilson to a team-friendly contract in March because the coach "believes the former Super Bowl champion and nine-time Pro Bowl pick is a strong leader and highly motivated competitor who still possesses a tireless work ethic, drive and playmaking ability." With that said, Fields will receive opportunities to impress during the Steelers' preseason opener against the Houston Texans on Friday.

As of Friday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook still had Wilson as the betting favorite at -430 odds to start Pittsburgh's Week 1 matchup at the Atlanta Falcons over Fields (+300). Fans should expect those odds to change depending on how Fields performs against Houston at Acrisure Stadium.