Mike Tomlin details 'challenging' QB decision amid Russell Wilson, Justin Fields competition

When the Pittsburgh Steelers started training camp, all indications were Russell Wilson was in “pole position” in the quarterback competition with Justin Fields. Mike Tomlin said that during the spring, and it appeared that was the case until Wilson suffered a calf injury, which gave Fields reps with the starters.

Ultimately, the veteran won out. Tomlin named Wilson the starting quarterback Wednesday, meaning Fields will be his primary backup after coming over in a trade with the Chicago Bears. It wasn’t an easy decision, though, as training camp went along.

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Tomlin said it didn’t take long for him to realize it wouldn’t be a clear-cut decision for him and the staff. There were a few reasons why, but it came down to how the two quarterbacks carried themselves during the competition.

“It’s been a challenging and good experience for me and for us, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin told Rich Eisen. “Going through it and, really, as we got into camp, it really got competitive. It became evident that the decision was gonna be difficult. Justin’s talents are more than I anticipated, particularly his mobility, the things that he can do and create. That was really exciting. Russ’ deep ball is even more impressive than his reputation, and I’ve seen it for 10-plus years or more toward 15 years in the National Football League. To be around it every day was really exciting.

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“I think those are two examples of what made it challenging. It was challenging because of the things that they’re capable of doing and how they conducted themselves in a positive way as opposed to being challenging because of the things that they lack.”

Mike Tomlin: ‘We had two capable guys’ in Russell Wilson, Justin Fields

Fields saw the most action in the Steelers’ three preseason games, completing 19 of 27 passes for 199 yards. Wilson, meanwhile, went 10 of 12 passing for 83 yards in two appearances after missing the opener due to his calf injury.

Tomlin noted the skillsets the two brought to the table, and that added to the nature of the decision at hand. By choosing between two talented quarterbacks, he noted that’s better than choosing between two players who can’t play at a high level.

“Sometimes, you’re dealing with two candidates, man, and you’re choosing the best of two unattractive options, if you will,” Tomlin said. “It became very evident early in this process that it wasn’t gonna be that. And when you’re in my position, man, that’s a good problem.

“We had two capable guys. Two guys that we’re excited about their skillsets, two guys that we’re excited about how they conduct themselves as professionals and as men. And it played out in that way. I’m really comfortable.”