Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety and current NFL analyst Ryan Clark thinks Mike Tomlin should just get it over with and name Justin Fields at the team’s starting quarterback. Tomlin is waiting to make a decision until Russell Wilson is fully healthy, but Clark told TMZ Sports that Fields has earned the starting job and thinks he should get the QB1 title.
“I believe he’s earned it. I believe he’s earned that confidence within the locker room. And I think there’s something that goes with that title. There’s something about knowing who your guy is. I love the fact that every week I knew we were gonna line up with Ben Roethlisberger and if he threw an interception or if it went bad, that he was our guy and we were sticking to him,” Clark said. “Sort of having that indecision and not necessarily knowing that it’s going to be Justin Fields or it could be Russell Wilson, that’s a little difficult.”
It seems as if the locker room has rallied behind Fields. But all offseason, we heard how much of a leader Wilson was from players on both sides of the ball, so I don’t really think anyone in the locker room is taking sides in the quarterback battle. But there’s no doubt that the Steelers have been good under Fields, as he’s led them to a 3-0 record and executed Arthur Smith’s offense really well. A lot of the flaws we saw in his game during his time with the Chicago Bears haven’t shown up in Pittsburgh, and he seems to be getting more comfortable in the offense.
If Fields keeps winning, it’s going to be tough for Tomlin to pull him, even when Wilson does get healthy. Fields is slated to start on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, and if he plays well and the Steelers win, Tomlin’s decision should be easy to stick with Fields. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes the decision is coming ahead of Pittsburgh’s Week 5 matchup with the Cowboys, which makes this week an important one for Fields.
If he struggles, that’s the performance that’s going to be freshest in Tomlin’s mind when he makes his decision. But if Fields continues to play the way he has early in the season and Pittsburgh is 4-0, Tomlin might have no choice but to ride the hot hand while Wilson waits in the wings. It’ll add an interesting layer to Sunday’s game, and we’ll see who’s under center for the Steelers in Week 5, but Clark clearly thinks it should be Fields.
