Steelers insider predicts if Justin Fields will start over Russell Wilson vs. Chargers

It was suggested ahead of the weekend that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields could earn a third-straight start by guiding his club to a second-consecutive victory in this past Sunday's game at the Denver Broncos as veteran Russell Wilson continued to recover from a lingering calf injury.

Hours after Pittsburgh notched a gritty 13-6 win at Denver's Empower Field at Mile High, Steelers insider Brooke Pryor of ESPN predicted that Fields will get the nod for the club's home opener versus the Los Angeles Chargers (2-0) this coming Sunday.

"T hough Fields had an uneven performance, he played well enough for the Steelers to continue to be cautious with Russell Wilson's calf injury, " Pryor said about Pittsburgh's win over Denver. " Fields completed 10-of-12 attempts for 101 yards and a touchdown pass — his first as a Steeler — in the first half. "

As Pryor mentioned in a different piece , however , Fields recorded only 16 passing yards in the second half versus the Broncos. In total, the 25-year-old connected on 13-of-20 passes for 117 yards with the one score and no interceptions. He also rushed for 27 yards.

For an article updated early Monday morning, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote that Fields is " running the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense as (coordinator) Arthur Smith is drawing it up " and is " threatening defenses with his legs and ability to create big downfield shots in scramble spots. " According to ESPN stats, Fields entered Monday ranked 19th in the NFL among qualified players with a 45.9 adjusted QBR and 27th with 273 passing yards on the campaign.

Pryor and others point ed out that the Steelers gave an inactive Wilson " a petty game ball " following their win at the Broncos. That says plenty about what those inside the Pittsburgh locker room feel about Wilson serving as a leader of the team's offense after Denver ate the largest dead cap hit in NFL history to part ways with the 35-year-old this past offseason.

If the Steelers " continue to be cautious with " Wilson regarding his calf, he could sit through Week 3 and try to get right for the Week 4 matchup at the Indianapolis Colts (0-2) on Sept. 29. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Steelers as 2.5-point home favorites against the Chargers.