Mike Tomlin held his weekly pre-game press conference on Tuesday as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare to host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2. Tomlin's team is coming off back-to-back road wins to open the 2024 season, and they are looking to carry that success for a third straight victory -- this time on their own turf.
Despite their winning ways early in the season, Pittsburgh's starting quarterback is still a hot topic in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are 2-0 with Justin Fields but are scoring just 15.5 points per game over their first two outings.
After speaking with the media ahead of Week 3, Tomlin was adamant there would be no change at quarterback.
"But as I sit here today, is not scheduled to be a full participant tomorrow in practice and so we're readying ourselves around Justin and we'll stay in that mindset until something else happens," Tomlin explained. "Hypotheticals is a waste of our time now."
Tomlin got snippy with the media at times during his presser when asked about the quarterback position, as he made it clear the Pittsburgh Steelers will not even entertain switching signal-callers until veteran QB Russell Wilson is healthy and back up to speed.
"My position regarding the pecking order and the depth chart has not changed, guys," Tomlin said. "And it won't until the other guy gets healthy, and then we'll give it real consideration. Until then, I won't speculate. I don't know how many ways I can tell you guys that."
Steelers are making the right decision sticking with Justin Fields
It's clear that Russell Wilson is not yet able to take the field. Wilson is still nursing a calf injury he's dealt with since the beginning of training camp. However, if he had been ready to go this week, some fans would have made the case that he's the better option.
The Steelers are winning games, but a lack of production and points on the board won't lead to lasting success. They would argue that Wilson could help the team to better numbers in the box score while security more comfortable wins.
But what does the film suggest?
Justin Fields hasn't been perfect in his first two games with the Steelers, but he has executed the game plan to a tee. The 25-year-old quarterback uses his legs and big arm to move the chains and control the clock.
Whether you agree with it or not, Tomlin's philosophy is to run the football and play good defense. He's perfectly content with winning low-scoring slugfests. Fields is making this happen.
In the first two games, the Steelers have dominated the time of possession battle -- controlling the football for 67:55 compared to just 52:05 for their opponents, according to Statmuse.com. This is exactly what Tomlin wants to see.
At some point, the Steelers are going to be forced to open things up and put more points on the board. But in the early going, Fields has been playing with a lead, controlling the football, and moving the chains. He has shown more than enough to remain Pittsburgh's starting quarterback for the immediate future, and no change will be made if this team keeps winning football games.