Mike Tomlin gives himself the perfect avenue to have Justin Fields usurp Russell Wilson

The Pittsburgh Steelers set themselves up for season-long controversy this offseason by acquiring embattled quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields within days of each other.

Throughout the offseason, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin maintained that Wilson would have the luxury of beginning the competition as the starting quarterback. Fields had a chance to steal the starting role after Wilson missed time in the preseason with a calf injury, but he failed to make the most of the opportunity. 

Tomlin named Wilson as the starting quarterback before the regular season, but Fields still managed to fall into the starting lineup after Wilson was ruled inactive with his lingering calf injury.

With Fields at the helm, Pittsburgh stormed out to a 2-0 record to begin the regular season. With all three of their divisional rivals struggling, the Steelers have taken an early lead for the AFC North crown. 

As long as the wins keep piling up, it will be difficult for Tomlin to pull Fields from the starting lineup.

Mike Tomlin has solid reasons to keep starting Justin Fields — for now

Tomlin said the team would follow the same plan at quarterback as last week, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. That means Wilson will continue to miss practice as Fields prepares to make his third consecutive start against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3.

Pittsburgh’s home opener in Week 3 will give Fields a chance to dazzle Steelers fans and further entrench himself as the long-term starter.

Wilson’s injury gave Tomlin the freedom to start Fields while avoiding the controversy that would accompany Wilson being benched. Instead of naming Fields as the starter, the Steelers can simply say they want to wait for Wilson to get healthy. If Fields keeps winning, Tomlin won’t need much of an explanation to keep Wilson on the bench regardless of his health.

The victories have alleviated any pressure to get Wilson back into the lineup, but that doesn’t mean Fields has been spectacular enough to win the job permanently just yet.

The Steelers managed an 18-10 victory against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 and scraped by the Denver Broncos with a 13-6 victory in Week 2.  

Pittsburgh has had 21 offensive drives, but Fields has only managed to lead the team to one offensive touchdown. Eight drives ended with a field goal from kicker Chris Boswell, but even those haven’t been easy. Four of the eight field goals were from a distance of more than 50 yards. Of the remaining 12 drives, one ended with a turnover on downs and 11 ended with a punt.

The Steelers offense failed to record 200 offensive yards in either win, but All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt terrorized the opposing offenses to help Pittsburgh win low-scoring affairs. While the conservative and underwhelming offense has produced wins against struggling teams like the Broncos and Falcons, Pittsburgh can’t expect the same results against stiffer competition. 

The Chargers will present a difficult test for Fields in Week 3, but Fields will have to put together his best performance when the Dallas Cowboys visit Pittsburgh for a primetime game in Week 5. 

Fields’ performance against the Cowboys pass rush could determine whether he remains the starter for the remainder of the season or gets relegated to the bench for Wilson.