Insider dismisses claim that Mike Tomlin has Russell Wilson, Justin Fields preference

Coming off the Pittsburgh Steelers' 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday night, NFL insider Mike Florio of NBC Sports/Pro Football Talk said that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wants to replace quarterback Justin Fields with Russell Wilson once Wilson is deemed fully recovered from his lingering calf issue.

For a piece published on Wednesday, ESPN's Dan Graziano shared why he disagrees with Florio's take.

"I was in Pittsburgh for Sunday's game against Dallas, and talking to people there I definitely did not get the sense Justin Fields was on thin ice or that the coaching staff was looking for a reason to turn it over to Wilson," Graziano explained. "...Fields offers running ability, and the coaches and players I've talked to there had nothing but positive things to say about him."

Wilson was set to serve as Pittsburgh's Week 1 starter before he reaggravated a calf injury he first suffered early into training camp. While Fields guided the Steelers to a 3-0 record in Wilson's place, the 25-year-old has now lost back-to-back starts and has, for the most part, been more of a game manager than a game-changing signal-caller this season.

According to ESPN stats, the Steelers ended Week 5 ranked 23rd in the NFL with an average of 299.4 offensive yards per game and 26th in scoring (18.4 points scored per contest). Meanwhile, Pro Football Reference shows Fields is ranked 23rd in the league with a 48.0 adjusted QBR on the season.

Graziano added that "it doesn't sound as if a change is happening this week" with Wilson on track to be healthy enough to serve as Fields' backup for Sunday's game at the 2-3 Las Vegas Raiders. As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Steelers as three-point favorites against Las Vegas.

If Fields fails to impress in what becomes a loss at Allegiant Stadium, Tomlin could turn to Wilson for the Week 7 "Sunday Night Football" matchup against a New York Jets side that will have Jeff Ulbrich serving as interim coach following the firing of Robert Saleh.