Head coach Mike Tomlin suggested on Tuesday that Justin Fields can hold onto the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback job even after Russell Wilson is cleared to return to action.
For a piece published on Tuesday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared that he feels “like Wilson getting the job back full-time would be a bigger surprise than that not happening” because of how Fields played while guiding the club to a 3-1 start.
“The locker room and much of the staff is behind Fields,” Breer explained. “Which is why…I’d be surprised if Fields doesn’t finish 2024 as the starter.”
Fields was somewhat of a game manager over Pittsburgh’s first three contests that the club won but performed like a QB1 for a playoff-caliber team in this past Sunday’s 27-24 loss at the Indianapolis Colts. The 25-year-old completed 22-of-34 passes for 312 yards and one touchdown, and he also rushed for 55 yards and two scores. According to ESPN Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor, Fields became the first player in franchise history with 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a single game.
“Whether Wilson gets a chance to start again, and fight for the job on the game field, remains to be seen,” Breer continued. “But it sure feels like a lot of folks there feel like the team should be beyond that by now.”
Pro Football Reference stats show that Fields enters Week 5 ranked 12th in the NFL with a 98.0 passer rating and seventh with a 70.6% completion percentage on the campaign. Per StatMuse, he’s 13th in the league with a combined 975 passing and rushing yards.
As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Steelers as 2.5-point favorites for the upcoming “Sunday Night Football” home game against the 2-2 Dallas Cowboys. Fields is on track to get the nod for that matchup, but it’s unclear if Tomlin could turn to Wilson for the Week 6 contest at the Las Vegas Raiders if the 2021 first-round draft pick flops in front of a prime-time television audience.