Justin Fields facts for kids
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Fields with the Chicago Bears in 2022
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| No. 2 – Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | March 5, 1999 Kennesaw, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 227 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Harrison (Kennesaw) | ||||||||||||||||
| College: |
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| NFL Draft: | 2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
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Justin Skyler Fields (born March 5, 1999) is an American professional football quarterback. He plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. While there, he was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year twice. He also played in the 2021 National Championship Game.
The Chicago Bears picked Fields in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. With the Bears, he set a record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game. He also became only the third NFL quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. After three seasons, Fields was traded to the Steelers in 2024.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Justin Fields grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia. He went to Harrison High School. For two years, he was the starting quarterback. He threw for over 4,000 yards and 41 touchdowns. He also ran for over 2,000 yards and 28 touchdowns.
In 2017, before his senior year, he was named MVP at the Elite 11 quarterback competition. During his senior year, he broke a finger and needed surgery. This ended his season early. Even so, he was named Mr. Georgia Football. He was also a great baseball player in high school.
Fields was considered one of the best high school football players in the country. He was rated a five-star recruit. In October 2017, he decided to play college football at the University of Georgia. His senior year was even shown in the Netflix series QB1: Beyond the Lights.
College Football Career
Playing for Georgia
In 2018, Fields started his college career at Georgia. He was the backup quarterback to Jake Fromm. In his first game, he threw a 10-yard touchdown pass. Later, against Tennessee, he ran for 45 yards and two touchdowns. In a game against UMass, he threw two touchdowns and ran for another, gaining 121 passing yards and 100 rushing yards.
During his freshman year, Fields played in 12 games. He had 328 passing yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 266 yards and four touchdowns. After the season, he decided to transfer to Ohio State.
Joining Ohio State
Normally, players who transfer have to wait a year before playing. But Fields asked for a special waiver to play right away. He argued that he had faced difficult circumstances at Georgia. The NCAA agreed, and he was allowed to play for Ohio State in 2019.
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Amazing 2019 Season
In his first year with the Buckeyes, Fields helped his team win the Big Ten Championship. They beat Wisconsin 34-21. This earned them a spot in the College Football Playoff. Fields finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. He was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
In the Fiesta Bowl against Clemson, he threw for 320 yards and one touchdown. Ohio State lost a close game, 29-23. Fields ended the season with 3,273 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, and only three interceptions. He also rushed for 484 yards and ten touchdowns.
Leading in 2020
Fields was a top contender for the Heisman Trophy in the 2020 season. The season was shorter because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fields strongly supported playing the season. He even started an online petition that got over 320,000 signatures.
He led the Buckeyes to another perfect regular season and a Big Ten Championship. They beat Northwestern 22-10. Ohio State then played Clemson again in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State won the rematch 49-28. Fields threw for 385 yards and six touchdowns in that game. He played through an injury, which Sports Illustrated called "legendary."
The Buckeyes went to the National Championship, but lost to Alabama 52-24. Fields finished the shortened 2020 season with 2,100 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also rushed for 383 yards and five touchdowns. He was again named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year. After the season, he decided to enter the 2021 NFL draft.
Professional Football Career
Time with the Chicago Bears (2021–2023)
2021 Season
The Chicago Bears picked Justin Fields 11th overall in the 2021 NFL draft. He signed a four-year contract worth $18.8 million. He made his NFL debut in the first game of the season. He scored a five-yard rushing touchdown.
In Week 2, he became the starting quarterback after an injury to Andy Dalton. His first start was tough, as he was sacked nine times. But he earned his first win in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions. In Week 5, he threw his first NFL touchdown pass.
Fields had his first 100-yard rushing game in Week 8. He also scored a rushing touchdown. Later in the season, he dealt with rib and ankle injuries. He also tested positive for COVID-19. He finished his rookie season with 420 rushing yards, the most among rookie quarterbacks.
2022 Season
Fields' 2022 season started with a win over the 49ers. In Week 7, he led the Bears to an upset win over the New England Patriots. He rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown.
In Week 9, Fields set an NFL record. He rushed for 178 yards, the most ever by a quarterback in a regular season game. He also became the first NFL player to throw three touchdowns and rush for at least 150 yards in the same game. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. In Week 10, he rushed for 140 yards again. He became the first NFL quarterback to do this in back-to-back games.
Fields suffered a shoulder injury in Week 11 and a hip injury in Week 17. He missed several games. He finished his second year with 1,143 rushing yards. This made him only the third NFL quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.
2023 Season
The 2023 season started with some tough losses for Fields and the Bears. In Week 4, Fields had his first game with over 300 passing yards. He started perfectly, completing 16 passes in a row. He also threw four touchdown passes. However, the Bears lost a close game.
The next week, Fields led the Bears to their first win of the year. He threw four touchdowns again, three to D. J. Moore. In Week 6, Fields dislocated his shoulder and thumb. He missed the next four games. He returned in Week 11 and rushed for 104 yards. The Bears won a close game against the Vikings in Week 12.
Fields finished his third season with career-highs in completion percentage (61.4%) and passing yards (2,562). He also threw a career-low nine interceptions.
Joining the Pittsburgh Steelers (2024–Present)
On March 16, 2024, Fields was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was traded for a future draft pick. The Steelers decided not to extend his contract, meaning he will be a free agent after the 2024 season.
Fields started the 2024 season as the backup quarterback. But when Russell Wilson got injured, Fields became the starter for Week 1. He led the Steelers to an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards and rushed for 57 yards. He also started in Week 2, leading the Steelers to another win. He threw his first touchdown pass as a Steeler.
Fields led the Steelers to three straight wins as a starter. This was his first time doing so in his professional career. After two losses, he was named the backup again. Fields was often used in special plays throughout the season. He finished the 2024 season with 1,106 passing yards and 10 total touchdowns (five passing, five rushing).
Awards and Honors
NFL Awards
- FedEx Ground Player of the Week – 2021 (Week 10)
- NFC Offensive Player of the Week – 2021 (Week 9)
College Awards
- Chicago Tribune Silver Football – 2020
- 2× Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year – 2019 & 2020
- 2× Big Ten Quarterback of the Year – 2019 & 2020
- Big Ten Championship Game Most Valuable Player – 2019
- Second-Team All-American – 2019
- 2× First-Team All-Big Ten – 2019 & 2020
- SEC Freshman of the Week – 2018 (Week 12)
High School Awards
- Elite 11 Most Valuable Player – 2017
- Mr. Georgia Football – 2018
- Class 6A Offensive Player of the Year – 2017
- First-Team All-State – 2017
Records Set by Justin Fields
NFL Records
- Most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game: 178 (November 6, 2022, vs. Miami Dolphins)
- Most rushing yards by a quarterback over a five-game span: 568 (2022)
- Most consecutive games by a quarterback with a rushing touchdown: 6 (2022) (Tied with Johnny Lujack)
- Most consecutive games with 1+ rushing and passing touchdown: 5 (2022) (Tied with Kyler Murray)
- First player to rush for 140+ yards and throw 3+ touchdowns in a single game (November 6, 2022, vs. Miami Dolphins)
- First player to rush for 100+ yards, throw 2+ touchdowns, and rush for 2+ touchdowns in a single game (November 13, 2022, vs. Detroit Lions)
- Only quarterback in the Super Bowl era with multiple 60+ yard rushing touchdowns
- Only quarterback since 1925 to score three rushing touchdowns over 50 yards
Ohio State School Records
- Most completions in a bowl game: 30 (December 28, 2019, vs. Clemson)
- Most passing yards in a bowl game: 385 (January 21, 2021, vs. Clemson)
- Most passing touchdowns in a bowl game: 6 (January 21, 2021, vs. Clemson)
- Most yards of total offense in a bowl game: 427 (January 21, 2021, vs. Clemson)
Personal Life
Justin Fields is a Christian. He was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was a freshman in high school. This information became public before the NFL draft in 2021. In high school, he scored well on his ACT test and had a high grade point average. Fields is a pescetarian, meaning he eats fish but not other meat. His sister, Jaiden, plays for the Georgia Bulldogs softball team. Fields graduated from Ohio State in May 2023.
Images for kids
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Fields giving an interview during the 2022 season
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Fields (2) during a practice with the Steelers, 2024
