Insider thinks Steelers' Mike Tomlin has Russell Wilson, Justin Fields preference

Quarterback Justin Fields guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 3-0 record but then dropped back-to-back starts as Russell Wilson continued to recover from the lingering calf injury that kept him out of action across the season's first five weeks.

During Monday's edition of the "Pro Football Talk" program, NFL insider Mike Florio of NBC Sports suggested that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will start Wilson over Fields once the 35-year-old is deemed ready to play.

"It's what Mike Tomlin wants," Florio explained, as shared by Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "I don't know about the rest of the organization, but it's what Tomlin wants."

Fields was largely a game manager over Pittsburgh's first three contests but then tallied 312 passing yards, 55 rushing yards and three total touchdowns (one passing, two rushing) in a 27-24 loss at the Indianapolis Colts back on Sept. 29. However, the 25-year-old recorded just 131 passing yards to go along with 27 yards on the ground in this past Sunday's 20-17 defeat against the Dallas Cowboys.

According to Pro Football Reference, Fields began Tuesday ranked 23rd in the NFL among qualified players with a 48.0 adjusted QBR on the season. The StatMuse website shows he's 18th in the league with a combined 1,133 passing and rushing yards. Per ESPN stats, the Steelers are 26th overall with an average of 18.4 points scored per game.

Tomlin named Wilson his Week 1 starter before the one-time Super Bowl champion reaggravated a calf injury that first popped up early in training camp. During the "Pro Football Talk" episode, NFL analyst Chris Simms said that people "around the league" are convinced Tomlin will go back to Wilson as soon as the veteran is 100 percent.

"They want Russell Wilson to be the starter," Simms said. "It has seemed that way. It seems like they've tried to frame it that way from the get-go, that Russell Wilson is No. 1."

Also on Monday, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that "Tomlin will make the move " to Wilson soon because the club is "determined to take a step in the postseason" and views Wilson as the better option to win important games on the biggest stages. It remains to be seen if Wilson will be healthy enough following a few practices to play at the 2-3 Las Vegas Raiders this coming Sunday.

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the 3-2 Steelers as three-point favorites against the Raiders.