Justin Fields is no longer No. 1.
The former Ohio State quarterback will wear No. 2 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced while revealing jersey numbers for all of its new players on Thursday.
Jersey numbers for the new guys pic.twitter.com/tuZaucr5Sx
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 4, 2024
The Steelers have not issued the number 1 – which Fields had worn at Harrison High School, at Georgia, at Ohio State and with the Chicago Bears – since Anthony Wright wore it for the team during the 1999 preseason. While the number is not officially retired by the team, it’s considered to be unofficially retired in honor of former Steelers kicker Gary Anderson, the organization’s all-time scoring leader.
The number change could also prove to be indicative of Fields’ position on the depth chart, as he is expected to be the Steelers’ No. 2 quarterback behind Russell Wilson this season.
Pittsburgh traded a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Bears in exchange for Fields. That pick would become a fourth-round pick if Fields plays more than half of the Steelers’ offensive snaps this year. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has said that Wilson is the team’s current starting quarterback but that Fields will get a chance to compete for the job this offseason.
