If the Pittsburgh Steelers start Justin Fields next week, I doubt Mike Tomlin will tell us about it today. He will address the media for his typical Tuesday pre-game press conference, and you can expect a lot of ambiguity. That is, of course, what he wants—no reason to let the Broncos know what his plans are.
The first requirement to have any discussion is to determine Russell Wilson’s readiness. The veteran quarterback is still dealing with a calf strain, which flared up last week. It cost him the season opener, Justin Fields starting, though he dressed as an emergency third quarterback. Tomlin appreciates what he saw in his younger option, however, as he said after the game.
“As I’ve gotten to know him, he is a real Steady Eddie”, Tomlin said of Fields, via the Steelers’ website. “He’s not overly talkative, but he’s got a steady, strong demeanor. Just being in-stadium with him, some of the things that I’ve seen through team development were confirmed. It’s just good to be able to communicate with a guy when things get thick, and you see the clear eyes. He’s there. He’s solid as a rock. I think his play and thus our play is reflective of that”.
Tomlin is a big “intangibles” guy, and he likes when his quarterbacks have that “look” in the heat of battle. Evidently, he feels Justin Fields showed that look on Sunday, which will only make it easier to turn to him. That doesn’t mean he will if Russell Wilson is healthy, but he is even more comfortable with the option.
Key also is the fact that it seems the players on the field are seeing the same things in Fields. “I thought Justin did awesome”, TE Pat Freiermuth said, via the Steelers’ website. “All the reps in camp obviously paid off today. He was very composed in there”. And you wouldn’t have to look hard to find more comments like that.
Now, you’re not often going to find quotes from players in which they trash their teammates. They don’t necessarily go out of their way to talk about things like poise and demeanor and leadership, however, unless they see it. The offensive starters do seem to genuinely believe Fields can lead them, and that counts for something.
Again, that doesn’t mean Mike Tomlin is going to start Justin Fields, but it is a prerequisite for that decision. I’m sure Russell Wilson will start whenever he is healthy, provided it’s within the near future and Fields isn’t just absolutely lighting everything up.
The Steelers did score on six of their 10 drives with Justin Fields, even if they were all field goals. His last full drive did not go well—in fact, it went backward 11 yards. But on the drive before that, they went 13 plays for 72 yards—and turned it over on downs. There are certainly highs and lows, but Fields has the right temperament to ride those waves.
