Justin Fields, punt returner?
If it were up to Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith, that would be a possibility.
When recording the podcast live Not Just Football of Cam Heyward at the Steelers’ draft night this weekend, running back Jaylen Warren said Smith suggested that Fields, whom the Steelers acquired in March in a trade with the Chicago Bears, could return the kickoffs with the rule change preventing players from moving until the returner touches the ball.
“I think it’s pretty good,” Warren told Heyward when asked what he thought of the new kickoff rules. “As soon as you touch the ball, that’s when it all starts.
“Our special teams coordinator was talking about Justin Fields. We said to ourselves: “Wait, wait!”. We looked at him and said to ourselves: “Justin Fields is going to return balls soon?”. I think it’s cool. »
Smith, who has been the Steelers’ special teams coordinator since 2013, is known for being an innovative thinker, but this idea is bolder than usual.
A mobile quarterback who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 in 2021 NFL physicals, Fields would be a fun, if non-traditional, option as a returner. Fields is unlikely to return punts, however, not only because the Steelers signed return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson earlier this offseason, but also because a backup quarterback involved in a punt return Kicking is a very risky move, even though rules have been adopted to make the game safer.
