Mike Tomlin sends a stern warning to Justin Fields after Steelers preseason debut

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a little more clarity on the quarterback position following Justin Fields preseason debut against the Houston Texans. While Fields did have some moments of brilliance, he also struggled with the basics, such as the center-quarterback exchange. Fields also took some unnecessary sacks, an issue that plagued him in Chicago.

At the end of the day, Fields is a developmental project in Pittsburgh. If he shows enough in practice -- or if called upon in games -- perhaps the Steelers can consider extending his contract at an affordable price tag. If not, Pittsburgh doesn't lose anything and they roll with Russell Wilson, who the Steelers signed with the intent of being the starting QB this season.

Nothing has changed after Fields debut, which received some mixed reviews. Steelers fans generally liked what they saw, though they're watching through Kenny Pickett goggles. The rest of the NFL noticed Fields made little changes to his overall approach.

Justin Fields didn't show much progression in Steelers debut, and Mike Tomlin knows it

There will be splash plays in either direction of the field, and the latter is something the Steelers cannot afford. Tomlin suggested as much in his press conference.

"I thought he did some nice things," Tomlin said per ESPN. "But obviously he was a component of the C-Q exchange, and from my perspective that's dual responsibility on the center and the quarterback. It negated a lot of good things going on in those first couple of drives."

Again, Fields has taken some time to adjust to the talent level of NFL defenses. This isn't college, and a fumble or interception cannot be easily corrected. Professional football offers far more parity than Fields faced at Ohio State. Even he knows that.

"We were just shooting ourselves in the foot," Fields said. "Fumbled snap, I think all three phases, so we can definitely be better in that part. And I think the snapping part, we just got to be on the same page. I'll put that on me to just be on the same page and know who's in that center or know how to adjust and what I need to do."

Fields, at the very least, took the blame for the center-QB exchange failures, and that sort of leadership is needed at the quarterback position. However, if Fields truly wants to be more than an explosive, mid-level backup in this league, he needs to eliminate those sorts of mistakes altogether rather than merely apologizing after the fact.