Justin Fields has gotten off to as good of a start as the Steelers could have hoped for.
But that still hasn’t earned the quarterback full-time QB1 status.
Fields has gotten Pittsburgh off a 3-0 start as he’s totaled a career-high 95.3 quarterback rating, but head coach Mike Tomlin — when asked Tuesday if the ex-Bear would be the full-time starter — said he didn’t have the need pencil in the signal-caller going forward for the rest of the season.
Russell Wilson, acquired in a trade from the Broncos in the offseason, was the starting quarterback going into training camp, but a calf injury has kept him sidelined amid Pittsburgh’s unbeaten start.
Fields is expected to get the start on Sunday on the road against the Colts, but that’s about as far as Tomlin went with his quarterback situation.
“Because there’s no need,” Tomlin told reporters when asked about making Fields the permanent starter. “I explained to you the variables of the week. It has not changed. He’s going to walk in this building with that mindset tomorrow, and so really, there’s no need to. Sometimes in this business, man, there’s a myriad of complex decisions that need to be made.”
Fields, 25, had his best performance of the season thus far in Week 3, as he tossed for 245 yards — while completing over 78 percent of his passes — with one touchdown and one interception in a win over the Chargers.
His 78.4 Pro Football Focus grade is also the best of his career.
The Ohio State product said he’s been able to stay composed in the pocket, helping him with the early season success.
Fields has been sacked six times this season as opposed to the 13 times he was taken down in the first three games of the Bears’ 2023 campaign.
“I feel like I’m just very calm out there, cool, calm and collected in the field and really just that sense of peace out there on the field and not rushing things,” Fields told reporters Sunday. “Internally, my brain, just staying calm in the pocket, making plays when I can and must doing my job.”
Tomlin did add in his Tuesday comments that he does want Fields to focus on starting as the team heads into practice the rest of the week.
“As we walk in the building tomorrow, I want Justin singularly focused on starting for us and doing what’s required to be ready to do that,” Tomlin added. “We’ll see where the week leads us. If [Wilson’s] availability or the quality of his practice participation picks up, maybe we’ll consider that later in the week. If it doesn’t, then it won’t be a consideration, and we’ll just continue with where we are right now.”
