Jeremy Fowler: Mike Tomlin giving Justin Fields 'a little more time' in Steelers QB competition

With two weeks until Pittsburgh Steelers’ season opener, head coach Mike Tomlin still hasn’t named the team’s starting quarterback. However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the internal competition is all but settled.

“Mike Tomlin’s giving Justin Fields a little more time, a couple more practices, to make his case, but they treated Russell Wilson like the starter that he pretty much is on game day against the Lions,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “He went in a few plays. Got the touchdown. They got him up out of there, like you normally would with a QB1. He is QB1 on the depth chart.

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“I’ve been hearing throughout that his command of the offense, ever since he came back from a calf injury this camp, has been noticeably different than their younger quarterback. So, all signs continue to point to Wilson being the guy. However, Fields has certainly opened his eyes to some of the play making, some of the mistakes as well, compounded. So, he probably hasn’t flashed enough to shake this out in his favor just yet.”

As Fowler mentioned, Wilson’s time on the field was extremely limited in the Steelers’ final preseason game. He only threw two passes, completing both for 26 total yards, and didn’t return to the game after leading the Steelers to a touchdown.

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Wilson also played substantially less than Fields in the Steelers’ 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 17. The two quarterbacks both signed with the Steelers this offseason after leaving starting roles with their previous teams.

In 2023, Wilson made 15 starts for the Denver Broncos, amassing 3,070 passing yards and 26 touchdowns while throwing eight interceptions. In comparison, Fields made 13 starts, tallying 2,562 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

While Wilson may boast the current advantage in the Steelers’ quarterback room, Fowler doesn’t expect Pittsburgh to toss Fields aside.

“Fields is an intriguing talent,” Fowler said. “Really for now and the future, they can find a way to use them. Certainly, he’s been in the mix, getting a lot of first team reps in practice.

“They’ve seen enough where, even though he’s a free agent in 2025, he could certainly be in their future plans. Maybe play this year, maybe they re-sign them, and he’s the guy for next year. They have two viable options that they like.”