It only took 3 games for Justin Fields to win Steelers starting QB job

The discourse around the Steelers quarterback room from the offseason onwards has been many things. Exhausting, biased, pessimistic, optimistic, etc. There were plenty of Russell Wilson truthers and Justin Fields apologists alike, but none of that matters now. With Wilson still nursing his calf injury suffered at the beginning of training camp, Justin Fields has gotten his opportunity to be the starting QB.

All he has done is have the best start to a season of his career and the best start by a Steelers QB since 2020 when Ben Roethlisberger guided the team to an 11-0 start. It may be only three games, and the defense deserves much of the credit, but a 3-0 start seemed impossible for a team with Fields under center after his failed stint in Chicago.

Instead, he has reinvented himself as a player and more importantly as a passer, playing with far more precision and timing than he ever showed as a Bear. He is protecting the football with just a single interception (on a play where the ball ricocheted wildly in the air). He is going through his progressions with more confidence and speed, keeping the offense on schedule.

Everything about his play seems to be at least a little better than it ever was before, and that growth has earned him the right to stay the starter even when Wilson is healthy.

It may not be fair, but Mike Tomlin must break his word to Russell Wilson

Despite the hype around the start of Justin Fields' career as a Steeler, it would feel wrong not to mention how unfortunate Russell Wilson's time with the team has been. Even people like myself who wanted to see Fields be the starting QB didn't want it to happen because of an injury.

The fact that Wilson's calf injury came while pushing a sled was peculiar at best, especially seeing we are in Week 3 and he still is dealing with it. If and when he is healthy, Mike Tomlin will have to do something no coach likes to do: benching a player because of an injury.

It won't be known for certain how Tomlin will handle the QB position once Wilson is good to go, but it would be potentially catastrophic to remove Fields if he continues to play at this level. He is doing everything asked of him and exactly what Tomlin has preached that he wants from his QB. He expected that to be Wilson, but life moves fast in the NFL. This is Fields' team now, and even Wilson likely knows it.