PITTSBURGH — Like head coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson isn’t getting caught up in the hypotheticals of who will be the starter. As of now, Wilson isn’t healthy, so Fields is QB1.
“I’m just focused on me every day and me being fully healthy,” Wilson said when asked if the missed time could result in him losing his starting job. “I have full confidence in our football team, and that’s what really matters to me.”
Wilson, who re-injured his calf on Sept. 5, initially suffered the injury during the team’s conditioning test at training camp, while pushing a sled.
“I’m definitely gaining ground,” Russell Wilson said. “I feel good. I was able to do a lot more work today, yesterday. I’m getting better every day.”
Tomlin said they’re in the “same posture” this week with Wilson and they’re preparing for Justin Fields to be the starter in the home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Wilson was limited on Wednesday.
“We’re readying ourselves around Justin,” Tomlin said. “We’ll stay in that mindset until something happens. Hypotheticals are a waste of time.”
“We’ve got one of those two guys available to us as I stand here today, so it is a waste of my time to speculate and hypotheticals and all of that. Justin’s got a game to get ready for this week,” Tomlin said. “My position regarding the pecking order and the depth chart has not changed guys, and it won’t until the other guy gets healthy and then we’ll give it real consideration. Until then, I won’t speculate.”
From Day 1, Wilson has been supportive of Fields and has been willing to share advice with him, even though they were competing for the starting job. That hasn’t changed since his injury.
“Justin does everything well,” Wilson said. “He’s a talented athlete. He’s smart, and he works hard. We spend a lot of time together. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help him win these games.”
With the 2-0 start, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks the Steelers should ride the hot hand and keep Fields as the starter.
“He’s not turning the ball over, they’re 2-0, big test this week with the Chargers coming to town. To me, if Russ is healthy, I’m sticking with Justin,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. “I said it last week I wouldn’t, but what I saw (against Denver), I think he has earned and deserves the right to stay there.”
“The deep ball that Justin threw on the run to the right that got called back because of the penalty. Unbelievable throw, unbelievable catch,” Roethlisberger added.
Roethlisberger emphasized how crucial it is that Fields has not turned the ball over. That part of the game has been a big improvement for Fields, who turned the ball over 41 times in three years with the Chicago Bears. Fields and Josh Allen are the only 2-0 quarterbacks without a turnover this year.
“In my opinion right now, he has not turned the ball over. Even if they were 2-0 and his stats were just OK and he’s had a turnover or two, I know there was a bobbled snap today but I don’t think he was even ready for the snap. So that’s not on him, and they got it (back),” Roethlisberger said.
Former Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson believes if Fields goes 3-0, he will become the starter in Pittsburgh.
“Just being around there last year, I’m telling you, if you the young fella goes 3-0, mark my words: he will be the starter,” Peterson said.
Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.