Former Bears quarterback Justin Fields appears to be creating a heightened quarterback competition in Pittsburgh with the Steelers.
As he continues his battle against Russell Wilson for the starting spot, head coach Mike Tomlin assured the media Wednesday that the fight to be the Steelers' starting quarterback is a competition.
"It very much is a competition," Tomlin said Wednesday of the starting quarterback position. "What happens in the stadium is weighted heavier than what happens in a practice setting because it's more game-like."
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For most of training camp, Wilson has held the pole position for the starting quarterback job. Seeing Wilson is a much more proven signal caller than Fields, the Steelers favored him early on this offseason.
But when Wilson went down with calf tightness, Fields impressed, working with the starting unit in training camp. He made accurate deep throws, quick throws to slants and avoided sacks to make throws on the run.
So far in training camp, Fields has impressed Tomlin with his competitive spirit.
"I think he just comes to compete every day," Tomlin said. "He's got an awesome competitive spirit. We've got a competitive environment and it seems like he's enjoying it. He's doing a really good job of acclimating himself to it and his teammates and letting his talent show."
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One of the points of emphasis the Steelers have made in Fields' development is his footwork. Fields was notorious for poor footwork when he was with the Bears. When he got to Pittsburgh, he changed his starting stance in the shotgun formation.
Tomlin has since reported he feels Fields has improved his footwork since arriving in Pittsburgh.
"He just had to focus on his footwork in the pocket," Tomlin said. "Body balance. Posture in which he throws from has been a point of emphasis for him going into the offseason. And I've just seen the fruit of that labor from the attention he's given it."
To Tomlin's note about weighing the pregame reps versus practice reps, Fields will get a "couple of series" with the Steelers' starting unit on Friday against the Texans in the preseason. Tomlin announced Wilson will not play with an injury, presumably the calf tightness he experienced early in training camp.
Can Fields come away with an edge in the competition from Friday's preseason game against the Texans? His performance will hold significant weight into the team's decision, as Tomlin mentioned.