Russell Wilson will start the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason finale as QB derby with Fields nears end

Updated Aug. 22, 2024 4:02 p.m. ET

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Russell Wilson will start the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason finale against Detroit on Saturday.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that Wilson and all healthy starters will see action against the Lions, though Tomlin declined to get into specifics on how long Wilson or any of the other regulars might play.

Tomlin added there has been “no change” to the depth chart at quarterback, where Wilson has been listed ahead of Justin Fields since training camp began last month even though Wilson's availability has been limited because of a calf injury.

Neither Wilson nor Fields have led the Steelers to the end zone when they have been in the game, something all involved hope to remedy before the regular season begins in Atlanta on Sept. 8.

“I want to see the fruit of the labor that I’ve seen out here on the practice field,” Tomlin said. “We’ve had some really awesome practice days and shown really good consistency and fundamentals and splash play ability, but I haven’t seen it in the stadium yet.”

First-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said earlier this week he scaled back the play sheet for Wilson in a 9-3 loss to Buffalo in an effort to protect Wilson's calf. Tomlin said he doesn't believe there will be “any restrictions schematically” for Wilson against Detroit.

While Tomlin has stopped short of declaring a winner in the competition, he's maintained for months Wilson is in the “pole position” to be the starter.

Fields is not trying to focus on the quarterback competition, saying the decision is out of his control. He believes he's shown the coaching staff what he can do and his mobility gives him a dimension that is no longer a regular part of Wilson's arsenal.

The bigger challenge for Fields has been his passing as he tries to figure out when to be aggressive and when to play it safe.

“You’ve got plays where you’re just looking for a completion, and you’ve got plays where you’re trying to take shots down the field, so just knowing when it’s that time of the game to take shots down field, to try to make a play,” Fields said. “And you also know there are other times where (you’ve got to) just get the ball out of your hands or just try to get a completion or get back on track to try to score some points.”

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