The Pittsburgh Steelers know it’s impossible to simulate what Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson can do, but they believe they have the closest thing in backup Justin Fields.

Fields, who started the first six games this season, is doing his best impersonation of the two-time NFL MVP while running the scout team in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Ravens.

Where the Steelers have signed mobile quarterbacks and college quarterbacks-turned-NFL receivers in the past, Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said it helps to have one already in the system.

“It does, I think, when you’re dealing with a mobile quarterback and a guy that can run and throw, if you have somebody in your program,” Austin said. “Where it really comes in is when you don’t have anybody in your program like that, when you want to run the ball a lot of times, you put a receiver in there to play quarterback, and everybody knows, ‘Hey, they’re going to run the ball.’

“This time if you keep the quarterback in, you can run all the offense and do all the different things that they do without giving it away, and I think that helps our defense. That’s where Justin will come in in that regard.”

It helps that Fields offers similar size and speed to Jackson.

Where the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Jackson was timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.34 seconds at his pro day at Louisville in 2017 — believed to be the second-fastest time by a quarterback, behind only Mike Vick (4.33) — Fields isn’t far behind. At 6-3, 227 pounds, he’s bigger than Jackson and only a split-second of a step behind after being clocked at 4.44 at his pro day at Ohio State in 2021.

When it comes to running the ball, Fields can match Jackson. They both have averaged 6.0 yards per carry. Where Jackson had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2019-20, Fields rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022. Jackson has a 31-19 edge in rushing touchdowns, but he’s also played in 50 more games.

“Lamar’s definitely quicker than me, for sure. But straight-line speed, I think we’re pretty close,” Fields said. “Just the moves he puts together, the stuff he does on the football field, it’s hard to emulate that. My job is to give the best look to the defense to whatever quarterback we’re playing this week. … I’m just doing the best I can.”

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)