Earlier this month, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren said that special teams coordinator Danny Smith was considering using quarterback Justin Fields as a kickoff returner. It was a shocking revelation at the time, but in his first comments since the revelation, Fields downplayed the whole situation.
“Nah, I think everybody kind of interpreted it wrong,” Fields said according to Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Coach Danny was basically just trying to send a message that no matter who you are, you could be on special teams. He just used that as an example.”
Justin Fields did confirm that it was briefly mentioned in a team meeting, but he said he hasn’t played special teams since middle school.
“It’s funny how serious social media takes everything,” Fields said. “It was kind of funny to me when everybody was making a big deal about it for no reason.”
Fields didn’t entirely rule it out, however, leaving it open for the possibility that he could return kickoffs for the team after all.
“Hey, you never know,” Fields said. “[Smith] might cook something up. We’ll see what happens.”
It may happen, but it doesn’t sound like it’s part of the team’s immediate plans.
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