Huge Pittsburgh Steelers news on when the starting QB for Week 1 will be named

The Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback in 2024 hasn’t been determined, with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields still battling it out for the job. However, recent Steelers news has provided some light on the decision head coach Mike Tomlin is about to make.

Pittsburgh entered the season viewing Wilson as its starting quarterback for Week 1, trusting in the veteran to steady the ship and help things get off to a positive start. With Wilson as the Steelers starting quarterback, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth would have more time to develop Fields.

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• Justin Fields preseason stats ( ESPN ): 19-of-27 passes completed, 199 passing yards, 7.4 yards per attempt, 0-0 TD-INT, 91.4 QB rating

However, the situation changed in Steelers training camp. Wilson missed significant practice time with an injury, limiting his preseason availability and opening the door for Fields to close the gap in the position battle. While Fields didn’t exactly shine in his preseason action, he made it a neck-and-neck battle with Wilson to be named the Steelers starting quarterback.

With the Steelers schedule kicking off on September 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, fans have been waiting for the team to make a decision. Following the club’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, a 24-18 loss, it appears that news is coming.

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Who will be the Steelers starting quarterback?

During his post-game press conference , Tomlin announced that he will name the Steelers starting quarterback by the end of this coming week.

• Russell Wilson preseason stats ( ESPN ): 10-of-12 passes completed, 73 passing yards, 6.1 yards per attempt, 0-0 TD-INT, 92.0 QB rating

There’s reason to believe it will be Wilson under center in Week 1. He received just 5 snaps in the team’s preseason finale, helping produce a scoring drive that proved to be his last series of the preseason. Now that he’s healthy and seemingly ready to step in, he is the favorite to be the Steelers starting quarterback in the season opener.

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However, there’s reason to believe he might have a relatively short leash. The 35-year-old no longer has the athleticism to extend plays and evade pressure all the while he still operates as if he’s still in his prime. With little playmaking ability and no high-end skill to build the offense around, the Steelers coaching staff might not wait long before putting Fields in purely to get his athleticism on the field.

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