One aspect that has been ever changing has been the Pittsburgh Steelers and their current starting quarterback battle between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. With the regular season opener just a few weeks away, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin did an interview with Bob Labriola of the team's website and asked him about the competition between the two players at the position.
Both Wilson and Fields are looking for fresh starts in Pittsburgh after disappointing stints with the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears respectively. Besides practice, part of winning the starting quarterback job is performing in a stadium setting which Wilson is doing Saturday night against the Buffalo Bills in his preseason Steelers debut as Tomlin says that with the veteran at full health, “it's going to heat up over the next couple of weeks.”
“It’s probably in the same place that I’ve described it throughout the spring and the summer,” Tomlin said. “Both guys are vying for the role. Russ has pole position because of the collective body of work, the totality of the body of work that he brings into the circumstance. Both guys are new to us. We’re getting an opportunity to get to know them through this process. It’s been a great process. Now that Russ has full health, it’s going to heat up over the next couple of weeks, and I’m excited about watching it happen.”
There was a time where Wilson was dealing with a calf injury which led Fields to take first team reps and impress the coaching staff. Now with Wilson back in the saddle, there will be a full fledged battle which as Tomlin mentioned the former Seattle Seahawks great is leading due to experience.
Mike Tomlin details when Steelers are to make decision on starting QB
Tomlin would be asked of when he has to make a decision to which he responded with “before the opener” and further explained that when he and the team makes a choice, it will not be because they rushed it.
“I think decisions along these lines need to happen when there's clarity, and preferably you like clarity sooner rather than later,” Tomlin said via the team's website. “But I won't make the wrong decision for the essence of time. Clarity is what we seek, but we've got two significant weeks left in this process in terms of in-stadium performances and so forth. And I think these things have a way of playing themselves out.”
While some fans of the team will be anticipating the announcement which can come at anytime, Tomlin detailed how he will present the news to the Steelers players. However, he would downplay the excitement to some degree saying that he questions how “earth-shattering” it would be.
“But if it's done right, I don't know how earth-shattering that announcement is,” Tomlin said to Bob Labriola. “People watch play just like I watch play. If it's fair, and guys are given an opportunity to show what they're capable of, I think very rarely is it the aftershock that people on the outside think it may be. When you're working every day and you're watching it, very rarely are you surprised by the decision making.”
The Steelers face the Bills Saturday night in the preseason debut of Wilson.
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