Projected Steelers quarterback depth chart after Justin Fields’ mixed preseason debut

The Pittsburgh Steelers' QB competition kicked into high gear on Friday night when Justin Fields made his debut in black and gold. It was a decidedly mixed performance from the 25-year-old, who gave fans — and the coaching staff — a full rundown of his strengths and weaknesses.

Fields finished his night having completed 5-of-6 passes for 67 yards with a 113.2 QB rating. He recorded three rushes for two yards, and also fumbled twice (recovering one). Fields lost 15 yards on two sacks.

He made some sharp throws and used his legs to extend plays, but there were also multiple instances of Fields holding the football too long or simply having butterfingers on the snap.

In a more poetic sequence, Fields was sacked by a familiar foe in former Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter. There's something about that NFC North connection.

On the whole, it's hard to be thrilled with Fields' performance. After gassing him up all week with reports of a stellar training camp, the former first-round pick looked mostly the same as he did in Chicago. It's only a handful of snaps in a preseason game, so we should avoid sweeping declarations, but this was a chance for Fields to really put the pressure on Russell Wilson. He did not.

Russ, of course, missed the game as he continues to nurse a calf injury. Projected as the QB1 early in the offseason, Wilson maintains that mantle on the Steelers' official depth chart as of Aug. 6. Fields has been picking up steam lately, though, with Mike Tomlin saying it "very much is a competition." He also said what happens in the stadium, in preseason action, will carry more weight than practice sessions.

So, knowing what we presently know (which still isn't much), here is how the Steelers' QB depth chart shakes out.

Steelers QB depth chart after Justin Fields' uneven preseason debut

This job is Russ' to lose. That is the best way to look at it. Fields has performed well in camp, but he struggled in his first taste of preseason action. He does not shoulder all the blame — the Steelers' O-line collapsed several times against Houston's fearsome defensive front — but Fields is fighting an uphill battle.

Depending on your perspective, Wilson's absence from Friday's game could be a blessing in disguise. Obviously, his health is the first concern, but it's hard for Russ to actively lose ground when he's not on the field. If Wilson gets out there and looks stiff, like he's a decade older with a bad calf, then it will boost Fields' case.

No matter how well Fields plays, he won't be able to firmly claim the QB1 job until he outperforms Wilson head-to-head in live action. As Tomlin understands, practice reps only tell us so much.

Kyle Allen has been impressive in his preseason snaps (8-of-11 passes completed for 111 yards and a touchdown as of this writing), but he is running a distant third here. Unless the Steelers are just bowled over by the injury bug, this will be a two-horse race between Russ and Fields to the very end.

Odds are this "race" evolves throughout the season, with Tomlin rendering his decision on a week-to-week basis. This won't necessarily be a done deal by Week 1 of the regular season.