The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most intriguing quarterback situations in the entire NFL. Russell Wilson was named the starter prior to the regular season opener, but his lingering calf injury gave backup QB Justin Fields a great opportunity to take the job. With Wilson being sidelined for the opening week against the Atlanta Falcons, Fields played well enough to encourage Mike Tomlin to give him another start while Wilson recovers. It is now being reported by Steelers insider Gerry Dulac that Tomlin and the Steelers want to play Fields for at least two more weeks before putting Wilson under center.
Kyle Hess / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields runs out ahead of the 2024 season opener in Atlanta, GA.
Fields and the Steelers are preparing for their second regular season matchup where they will travel to the Mile High City to play Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos. After taking care of business in Atlanta, Pittsburgh finds themselves in a great place to move to 2-0. Nix and the Broncos took a loss in Week 1, as the quarterback only threw for 138 yards and two interceptions.
According to Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it will be Fields as the Steelers' starting quarterback once again in Denver, after the speculation on Wilson's status.
"According to sources, the Steelers plan to have Justin Fields start the next two games - Sunday in Denver against the Denver Broncos and the home opener Sept. 22 against the Los Angeles Chargers - while Russell Wilson continues to rest his injured calf so it doesn't morph into something worse."
As Tomlin addressed the media earlier in the week, it sounded pretty evident that Wilson wouldn't be ready to go in time for his revenge match against the Broncos. Pittsburgh's head coach announced that they're preparing Fields as the starter, but didn't mention that it would go further than this week.
"As I sit here today, we are preparing as Justin is going to be our quarterback," Tomlin told reporters. "Speculation is a waste of time. Russell is hurt and not available to us. As you guys know, as a general practice man, I focus my energy on those that are available and their readiness."
Wilson's calf injury has been a major concern, considering the injury came about just before training camp, which was nearly seven weeks ago. Obviously if Wilson were to have any games on the Steelers' schedule circled, it would be this week's game in Denver. Unfortunately, the nine-time Pro Bowler just can't seem to get back to one hundred percent.
Russell Wilson on if he’s close to being able to play: “I think I’m getting closer and closer. I’m just trying to be smart. Got to do a lot of work today on the field and everything else, throwing and all that, so just trying to be smart.”
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) September 12, 2024
As mentioned, Dulac's report emphasizes that Fields will likely be getting the start against the Broncos, but also will be named the starter for Pittsburgh's home opener in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Neither AFC West squad looks too threatening as of right now. If Fields leads the Steelers to a 3-0 start, it's hard to imagine Wilson gets another opportunity.
John Bazemore / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields during the 2024 season opener.
Against the Falcons in Week 1, Fields led the Steelers to an 18-10 victory, despite not finding the end zone. Fields completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards and didn't turn the ball over. If it wasn't for a mistaken offensive pass interference call on George Pickens, Fields' numbers would've been significantly better. His QB rating was 91.9, which led all AFC North quarterbacks.
Steelers' Justin Fields And Arthur Smith's Week 2 Mission: Score Touchdowns
Thanks to kicker Chris Boswell scoring all 18 points for the Steelers against the Falcons, the offense didn't need to get the ball across the goal line. In the opening week, teams across the league are just trying to come away with a win. Though Pittsburgh did that, Tomlin and the rest of the coaching staff are going to expect more touchdowns moving forward. Most of their promising drives ended due to penalties and not converting on possession downs.
USA Today
Steelers' new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith.
The Broncos allowed over 140 rushing yards last week, which is exactly what the Steelers are going to want to do. Though it seemed like an underwhelming performance from a rushing standpoint, Fields and running back Najee Harris combined for over 120 yards on the ground against a decent Atlanta defense. Lookout for a breakout game for the Steelers' offense in Denver come Week 2.
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