Justin Fields will start for the Steelers in their preseason opener on Friday, but that doesn’t mean he’s overtaken Russell Wilson in the race to earn the job as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback.
The Steelers issued their first depth chart of training camp on Tuesday, with Wilson penciled in at No. 1 and Fields his backup. Tomlin said Wednesday morning at camp in Latrobe, Pa., that nothing had changed.
“You guys saw the depth chart that I released yesterday,” Tomlin told reporters. “That is real.”
The veteran Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, has been limited by a calf injury in training camp, giving Fields considerable time with the first team.
While Tomlin maintains that Wilson, 35, is the No. 1 as of today, he said Fields will play “a couple series” Friday against the Houston Texans and have a chance to show the coaching staff what he can do in a game situation.
“I think everything is an audition,” Tomlin said. “Everything that we do is an audition not only for him but for others.”
Tomlin said the 25-year-old Fields, acquired in an offseason trade with the Chicago Bears, is impressing.
“I think he just comes to compete every day,” Tomlin said of Fields. “He’s got an awesome competitive spirit. We got a competitive environment, and it seems like he’s enjoying it. He’s doing a really good job of acclimating himself to it and to his teammates and letting his talent show.”
The Steelers also have quarterbacks Kyle Allen and John Rhys Plumlee on the preseason roster.
Tomlin said T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Alex Highsmith, Isaac Seumalo, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Patrick Queen also will not participate in Friday night’s game due to both minor injuries and their status as veterans.
–Field Level Media
