PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the regular season with Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback. And after an entire summer of trying to make a quarterback “competition” seem real, they lasted just one practice before having to consider whether that was really the case.

When Wilson injured his calf during training camp, the thinking didn’t change. He was going to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback, and the team wasn’t going to change its mind and waste a veteran asset.

When Wilson re-aggravated the injury before Week 1 in Atlanta, things changed. This was Justin Fields’ first real chance to show the Steelers that he should be the starter. And while he didn’t necessarily impress, he could have shown that he’s the quarterback this team needs with the offense they want to run.

The Steelers offense continued to struggle. Despite the addition of two new quarterbacks and an offensive coordinator, this unit looked better, but still not impressive. And with not a single touchdown scored and an 18-10 victory from Chris Boswell’s leg, there are many who are skeptical that this group has what it takes to be a promising defense.

If the Steelers offense doesn’t become special, Fields might be the man for the job. Not because he’s a better quarterback than Wilson, but because his ability to make something out of nothing could mean the difference between setting the offense up with another first down and missing a much-needed opportunity to keep a drive alive.

This wouldn’t be a problem if Wilson wasn’t dealing with a calf injury. Because of the specific injury, the concern is whether or not he can move. If he can’t, the Steelers offense simply can’t function with the mobility they need from their quarterback. And that’s why Fields is the better option.

The Steelers have a decision to make. It’s not the best scenario for this team, but it’s the one they have to deal with. And even without Fields delivering a performance worthy of a starting spot, Pittsburgh should consider giving him one.

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