The Pittsburgh Steelers revamped their quarterback room in an exciting way during the 2024 offseason. They parted ways in some shape or form with Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky and replaced them with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen. Wilson and Fields went through a narrow competition for the starting job throughout training camp, but Wilson was given the starting role. His long-lasting calf injury flared up ahead of the Week 1 contest against the Atlanta Falcons, which caused Fields to get his first start in the black and gold.
Fields was a major contributor in Pittsburgh's Week 1 win in Atlanta. He didn't light up the stat sheet - but he didn't turn the ball over. This is exactly what Pittsburgh wants. Of course, Head Coach Mike Tomlin would like to see his offense get the ball into the end zone at least once, but keeping the ball out of harm's way was a good sign to see from the fourth-year quarterback. Now, the Steelers will begin to prepare for their Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos, and Tomlin has already stated that the team is planning to move forward as if Fields will be the starter.
Tomlin also refused to commit to Wilson, even if the veteran quarterback was healthy. This was shown during his press conference on Tuesday when he was asked which quarterback would be the starter, even if they were each at full health.
The Steelers coach simply seemed frustrated with the questions about the quarterback situation. In football, the best ability is availability, and Wilson hasn't been available for a large duration since the start of training camp. Fields has easily received the most reps with the starters, and he should fulfill that role for the foreseeable future. Tomlin continued to speak on the situation, as he was asked about his quarterback situation being a national headline.
"I am unmoved by some of those narratives to be quite honest with you. We got an approach to business, I always stand in front of you guys when people are somewhat limited. I say we'll push through their work week, we'll let participation be our guide in terms of whether we include him; this scenario is no different for me, respectfully."
It's no surprise that Tomlin doesn't allow the outside noise to affect his operation and how he goes about his business. However, the quarterback position is always going to be talked about due to the importance of it in the game of football. Fans want to see continuity there, and it seems that they will get that with Fields as Wilson continues to recover from injury.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Seems To Be Growing Frustrated With Russell Wilson's Injury
It seemed as though the Steelers had a clear plan with their quarterback situation going into the 2024 season. This was to allow Wilson to start, while Fields sat behind and took a year to develop and grow as a player. Obviously, that didn't go to plan. This has mainly been because of Wilson's nagging calf injury that popped up on the first day of training camp. Tomlin spoke with some frustration during the press conference about the injury.
"Our energy and attention is on those who are available and are scheduled to play. They're deserving of that, when those that are not are healthy, we'll ponder it at that time."
Fields may have a lot of work to do when it comes to becoming a better passer at the NFL level, but he has been consistent so far in Pittsburgh. He has remained healthy and available, which is something Wilson cannot say.
Fields will likely look to lead Pittsburgh to their second straight victory in Week 2, as they prepare to travel to Denver to play the Broncos.
