Ben Roethlisberger urges Steelers to stop holding Justin Fields back

Before their season opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers named Russell Wilson as the team's starting quarterback. But an injury to the veteran forced the team to revert to backup quarterback Justin Fields, who has done an admirable job given the circumstances.

The former Chicago Bears star has led his new team to a 3-1 start to the season and has grown in stature with each passing game. Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger has been following Fields' growth and has been impressed with his development since the start of the season.

During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," the retired quarterback lauded Fields and claimed the coaching staff needs to trust him as a passer.

"I want to see them use the middle of the field, like sit in the pocket and hit your in-routes, hit your curls. Let's make it a passing offense a little bit because we know what he can do with his legs," Roethlisberger said on "The Pat McAfee Show."

Roethlisberger claimed that he understood the team's apprehension to let Fields sling the ball in their first two games of the season, but claimed it was now time to let him showcase his passing ability a lot more.

"Early on, it was almost like whether the ‘training wheels' were on or he just didn't feel comfortable making that throw or forcing that ball in that tight window. The last week, and then the second half of that Chargers game, he's throwing the ball down the middle, finding seam throws. I think he's getting more comfortable; I think the coaches are probably getting more comfortable with him," Roethlisberger added.

Justin Fields' stats: QB's improvement as a passer

Justin Fields' pass attempts, pass completions, and passing yards have all increased in each of his last three outings. He completed 13 of his 20 pass attempts for 117 yards in the Steelers' Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos.

The following week, he attempted 32 passes and completed 25 for 245 yards and one touchdown in Pittsburgh's 20-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at home. Last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, he had his most prolific game as a passer since Week 4 of the 2023 season.

He threw 34 passes and found his target on 22 of those for 312 yards and one touchdown. The Steelers lost, 27-24, but the coaching staff giving the quarterback the license to showcase his ability as a passer is a sign of the growth in confidence they have in his ability.