Mike Tomlin: We’re certainly open to using Justin Fields

Steelers quarterback Justin Fields was back on the gameday roster in Week 18 after missing two games with an abdominal injury, but he was one of two Pittsburgh players who dressed for the game without taking any snaps.

Given how much the offense struggled in their 19-17 loss to the Bengals and how much the team has looked in need of a spark on that side of the ball during their four-game losing streak, there were questions about whether it made sense to see if Fields could provide it. On Monday, head coach Mike Tomlin said that it was on the table as the team heads into their wild card game against the Ravens.

“I’m certainly open to utilizing Justin,” Tomlin said, via the team’s website. “He has an awesome skill set. We’ve done some of that in the past. We’ve done less of it in recent weeks. He experienced an injury a couple of weeks back that slowed some of that. But, certainly, in an effort to win this game I am open to any combination or combinations of the division of labor in an effort to do so, and so I’m certainly open to that as we develop plans this week.”

Fields played three snaps and ran twice for 17 yards in Pittsburgh’s 18-16 win over the Ravens in Week 11 and did not play in Baltimore’s Week 16 win, so finding ways to utilize him this weekend could be a wrinkle with some value in a matchup of teams that know each other well.