Steelers' Mike Tomlin Is Glowing About Justin Fields As He Hints The QB Will Start Again

The Pittsburgh Steelers remain undefeated in the 2024 season as the team was able to take down the Los Angeles Chargers at home in Week 3. The game wasn't always pretty, but both sides of the ball dominated in the second half to help the Steelers pull away. The defense kept the Chargers’ offense at bay, and Justin Fields was able to operate Pittsburgh’s offense near flawlessly. He had his best game as a Steeler so far, and has seemed to improve week after week for the Steelers.

Fields looked like he should be the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh during the Steelers’ victory. It has been a major talking point about whether or not Russell Wilson will be the starting quarterback once he returns to full health, but Fields’ play certainly shows he shouldn't be unseated from the starting job. Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the play of his starting quarterback during his postgame press conference, and he was glowing about Fields’ ability to lead the team to three straight victories.

"He's doing an awesome job doing what we're asking him to do. Playing and playing to win. So that is appreciated."

Tomlin doesn't want to give anything away about who will be starting at quarterback going forward. The coaching staff likes Wilson, and likely don't want to rule him out quite yet. Tomlin also isn't one to make an announcement like Fields being the official starting quarterback right after a game. Something like that would come during his press conference on Tuesday, but he certainly seems to be lightening up to the idea of Fields being the distinguished starter moving forward.

It's important to note how much Tomlin values playing to win. During the 2023 season, Tomlin rolled with Mason Rudolph as the starter to end the year over a healthy Kenny Pickett because Rudolph was playing well and leading the team to victories. Fields is doing the same right now. As history shows, it is unlikely Tomlin decides to throw Wilson into the starting lineup even if he returns to full health soon.

Throughout the first two weeks of the season, the Steelers were able to secure two victories, but Fields didn't look spectacular. It seemed as though he was playing not to lose rather than playing to win. That changed against the Chargers. The fourth-year quarterback finished the game with 25 completions in 32 attempts, and he threw for a touchdown along with 245 yards. He also ran in a touchdown to give the Steelers their first points of the game.

Fields did throw an interception, but for a quarterback who has a history of disastrous plays his first pick of the season coming in Week 3 isn't bad. Turnovers will come as the offense starts to play less conservatively, it's about how the offensive unit responds. In this case, Fields led the offense down the field for a field goal on the next drive and then threw a 55-yard touchdown on the drive after that.

Steelers' Justin Fields Has Earned The Starting Job

With the team being 3-0 to start the season, Fields has earned the right to keep his job. It seems as though the team is rallying behind him and buying into the quarterback as their starter. The best ability is availability in football, and Wilson hasn't been able to stay on the field. He missed nearly all of training camp, and his injury flared up again right before the regular season kicked off. Even once he returns to full health he should assume nothing more than the backup role to Fields.

In addition to just being available, Fields also provides the offense with another layer thanks to his athleticism. He can use his legs to extend plays and drives, which is something Wilson can't do as effectively anymore.

What did you think about Tomlin's comments? Do you want Fields to start the rest of the 2024 season? Let us know in the comments below!

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