The Pittsburgh Steelers are fully expected to start Russell Wilson this season, but head coach Mike Tomlin has yet to close the door on the idea of a quarterback competition between he and Justin Fields.
In preseason Week 1, Fields got the nod to start with Wilson not playing, and he did a solid job, although a bad exchange (there were two, but the second actually gained yards) and two sacks spoiled things.
Ultimately, Fields finished 5-of-6 for 67 scoreless yards and a passer rating of 113.2. He also added three carries for two yards. It wasn't a terrible performance by any means, but not enough to move the needle, either.
After the game was over, ESPN analyst and former head coach Herm Edwards saw enough to definitively say that the Steelers should start Wilson over Fields.
"There was some encouraging signs when he got the ball off," he said on SportsCenter. "But there's also some signs that show disappointment in the fact that they were really sloppy on offense. Ball exchange, quarterback-center, holding the ball too long in the pocket at times. We saw this when he was in Chicago."
"No doubt, Russell Wilson is the starter," Edwards added. "And now, Justin Fields, will he have a role? I think he might have a role, maybe a slash role when the season starts. But right now, it's Russell Wilson's job to lose when the season starts."
The former coach isn't saying anything groundbreaking here. It was always assumed that Wilson would get the nod to start the season, and Fields will be waiting in the wings if he falters. Nothing Fields did on Friday night changed that.
