Insider discusses Steelers' Russell Wilson, Justin Fields 'opportunity'

It was reported on Wednesday that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields would need "an explosive performance" in the club's Week 2 game at the 0-1 Denver Broncos this Sunday to remain atop the depth chart as veteran Russell Wilson continues to recover from a lingering calf issue.

During a Wednesday appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk indicated that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin isn't married to the idea of playing a healthy Wilson.

"I think this is a perfect opportunity for the Steelers to let Fields try it out," Florio explained, as shared by Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot. "If it works, you just keep going. If it doesn't, it's not like you benched Fields (once Wilson is cleared to play)."

Fields helped the Steelers notch a season-opening 18-10 win at the Atlanta Falcons this past Sunday but also failed to guide the offense on a single touchdown drive. In total, the 25-year-old completed 17-of-23 passes for 156 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions against Atlanta. He also rushed for 57 yards on 14 carries.

For a piece published Wednesday morning, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that "Pittsburgh believes Wilson's command of the offense is stronger" than what Fields has offered the club since springtime workouts. Dan Graziano of ESPN added that Steelers coaches think Fields "needs to work on reducing" his nervousness assuming that Wilson, 35, won't be good to go for the Week 2 showdown at the Broncos.

Florio nevertheless suggested that Fields has a real "opportunity" this weekend to impress Tomlin and earn a third straight start.

"I think they do believe Fields is the better option long-term," Florio said about the Steelers' mindset. "He's more than a decade younger. He fits what they're trying to do offensively better. They just need to work on some stuff, like, you know, throwing the ball accurately on a consistent basis . I think it's worked out perfectly for the Steelers to ride Justin Fields as long as they can, [and] flip back to Russell Wilson if it's not working."

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Steelers as 2.5-point favorites against the Broncos. Pittsburgh falling to 1-1 could make it easy for Tomlin to turn to Wilson for the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but it remains to be seen how the coach would react if Fields flips a figurative switch and torches the Denver defense.