LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – It’s still not a confirmed decision that Russell Wilson will be the starting quarterback, but as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he’s in the pole position to win the job. His first night in a college dorm in Latrobe, Justin Fields looked at the playbook before going to bed on the eve of the first practice. He probably thought he would just continue to work with the second-teamers.
Then he got a text at six Thursday morning from the new Steelers quarterbacks’ coach. He was told to prepare for some first team reps in the first training camp workout as Wilson was dealing with a tight calf.
“It was an awesome opportunity for Justin, and the challenge for our offensive unit to deal with a little adversity at the outset,” Tomlin said. “You know, we all like to start with great fluidity and [to be] clean, but football isn't always like that. And so really, I looked at it as a good thing for a collective of talents, for the offense a unit, a challenge.”
Obviously, Fields has been hanging around his head coach a bit because what he said sounded like a Tomlin quote sheet.
“It’s good to have some short-term adversity and some stuff that is not expected,” Fields said, without a script in front of him. “We are going to face things in games that aren’t expected. It’s about how we react to those situations and how we adjust.”
As for how he did, Fields said he was excited to be out there. He was trying to take advantage of each and every rep with the first team. Fields said he didn’t change his approach or try to do too much. Overall, seemed pretty lukewarm about his execution.
“I felt it was alright,” Fields explained while being surrounded by reporters on Chuck Noll Field. “It felt alright. I felt alright overall and got some good reps in, for sure.”
It was highlighted by a bomb to Van Jefferson on 7-on-7 drills, a strong-armed throw across the field to Connor Heyward and a perfect fade to George Pickens during 11-on-11 play. He showed off his athleticism on a screen pass, but also missed on a couple, including one that bounced to Pickens.
“He was excited about the opportunity to lead that first group out of the huddle and take charge today,” Tomlin said of Fields performance in the hour-and-a-half practice. “We're not painting with a broad brush just yet or making too many judgments. It was a good afternoon.”
Fields was unsure if Wilson would be able to practice on Friday, Tomlin called him day-to-day so he might have another opportunity. Wilson was with the team and taking mental reps while not playing, but also a sounding board for Fields.
“Any question I have, I can always go to Russ and ask him for advice and he’s going to give his knowledge to me,” Fields said. “Of course, he’s been in the League for a long time. Any advice he has for me, I’m always open and willing to take that.”
An extended injury timeout for Wilson and solid performances from Fields could muddy the ‘pole position’ Wilson currently enjoys. Day two of camp starts at 10:30a on Friday.
Most Popular
Comments / 0