PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s still not officially decided although head coach Mike Tomlin named Russell Wilson the starter for the last preseason game and he remains in pole position to be the Steelers starting quarterback in Week One. What Justin Fields said of the competition and his play so far.
It’s the fourth-season for the Bears number one pick in 2021. He’s been around long enough to say ask Tomlin if he feels like this is a true quarterback competition. He knows to not answer for the head coach.
“I try to not think about stuff that I can’t control, I just think about the stuff that I can control,” Fields said Thursday. “I can’t control whether or not I’m going to be named the starter, I can control how I come in everyday, how I work every day and how I treat each day.”
For the first two weeks of camp, it was Fields leading the first-team offense in team drills as Wilson dealt with a calf strain. Fields started the first preseason game going 5-6 for 67 yards, a 113.2 QB rating with two rushing yards vs. Houston. He came in after Wilson against the Bills going 11-17, but for only 92 yards and rushed for 42 yards with a 78.6 rating.
“I think I’ve shown what I can do,” Fields said. “The time I did have with the ones practicing in training camp, I think we grew a lot each and every day. But, at the end of the day, it’s not up to me.”
“I’m just going to come in here each and every day and be the same person, be a leader for this team and work my butt off, and everything else will handle itself.”
He’s not sure when he will get in the game at Detroit on Saturday. Tomlin said he wants to see some rhythm from the first-team offense before he rests them for the season opener. It’s unclear if Fields will get to work with other first-team personnel when he gets his opportunity.
Fields said first and foremost he wants a win against the Lions. He wants the offense to take care of the ball, play clean and put some points on the board. That has been an issue.
Part of the reason for the struggles according to Fields is they didn’t game plan much in the first two preseason games. He said they were in ‘training camp’ mode. He said if everybody does their job the way he said they can, they will do what they are supposed to do.
They, and Fields, need to do what they are supposed to do on KDKA-TV on Saturday.