Mike Tomlin announces Justin Fields will start at quarterback against Texans

Justin Fields will get the start at quarterback when the Steelers kick off their preseason schedule against the Texans this Friday.

For Steelers fans, it’ll be the first chance to see Fields at Acrisure Stadium dressed in a Pittsburgh uniform. But the official introduction of Russell Wilson will have to wait. While coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Fields will start, the coach said Wilson will not dress for the game.

Both quarterbacks are new to the Steelers. Tomlin said Wilson still is No. 1 on the “unofficial” depth chart. But Wilson strained a calf muscle the day before training camp started in Latrobe, Pa. He tweaked the calf while pushing a blocking shed as part of a conditioning drill. Wilson could do some individual drills, but he is only now taking some reps with the first team.

Fields has set off a buzz with his training camp performance. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is incorporating Fields’ running ability into the offense and Fields is showing off his legs.

“It very much is a competition,” Tomlin told reporters Wednesday morning. “What happens in-stadium is weighted heavier than what happens in a practice setting because it’s more game-like.”

Tomlin added: “I think everything is an audition. Everything that we do is an audition, not only for him but for others.”

The Steelers will hold out several of their star players. Tomlin said Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Patrick Queen and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will not play against the Texans. Queen and Fitzpatrick also are nursing minor injuries.

Meanwhile, the Texans plan on using their starters in their game against the Steelers. That includes budding superstar quarterback CJ Stroud. Coincidentally, Stroud replaced Fields at Ohio State when Fields left for the NFL. Houston already opened preseason with a loss to the Bears in a rain-shortened Pro Football Hall of Fame game last Thursday.

In other Steelers news, the team announced it added linebacker Easton Gibbs, who initially signed with the Seahawks after April’s draft. To make room for Gibbs, the Steelers released linebacker Tyler Murray.