Steelers' Tomlin mum on starting QB for Week 2
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin refused to name his starting quarterback for Week 2 following the team's 18-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.
"You can come ask me that question on Tuesday," Tomlin said postgame when asked if Justin Fields' performance Sunday affects Russell Wilson's status as QB1, according to Christian Williams of The Devy Royale.
The Steelers started Fields versus the Falcons instead of Wilson, who's been dealing with a calf injury. Tomlin originally announced Wilson as the starter on Aug. 28 before the quarterback was limited at practice in the week leading up to the season opener.
Wilson reportedly told the Steelers' coaching staff that he could've played Week 1, but the team chose to be cautious about his injury.
"It's really not a long, drawn-out process," Tomlin said of his decision, according to Christopher Barbre of steelernation.com. "I'd rather deal with short-term misery to be quite honest with you. We're in Week 1. There's a lot of ball out in front of us. I just thought it was appropriate to put the healthy guys out on the field.
"I felt really good about both quarterbacks. I was very clear when I named (Wilson) the starter; how confident I was with both quarterbacks, and so if that is true, why not be really comfortable with playing Justin under the circumstances, with Russ being in less-than-ideal physical shape."
Fields completed 17 of 23 pass attempts for 156 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions against Atlanta. The 25-year-old - who was sacked twice and suffered one fumble - also rushed for 57 yards. The Steelers, however, didn't score a touchdown in the matchup, though kicker Chris Boswell converted all six of his field-goal attempts.
Fields, who joined the Steelers as part of an offseason trade from the Chicago Bears, has been flirting with Pittsburgh's QB1 job since training camp. Wilson entered camp as the starter, but another calf injury sidelined him for multiple weeks, giving Fields an opportunity to impress at practice.
The Steelers visit the Denver Broncos in Week 2.