Aug 4, 2024 3 min read

Tensions or spirits (depending on how you lean) are high at the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and this led to a good old-fashioned brawl after quarterback Justin Fields was taken out by defensive back Beanie Bishop and linebacker Elandon Roberts. This, in turn, led to the defense backing their team-mate in an unseemly altercation.

Quarterbacks are usually handled with kid gloves during training camp, so the incident was entirely avoidable but, in some ways, does illustrate the determination of players to prove their worth, albeit ideally not at the cost of injuring your star player.

Mike Tomlin’s side is hoping to achieve a great deal more in the coming season than they have in their recent campaigns. In three of the last four seasons, they have fallen at the first postseason hurdle, and newly acquired Fields could prove key. The 25-year-old has arrived from the Chicago Bears and will be battling Russell Wilson for the starting berth, with the veteran former Super Bowl winner also arriving in the offseason.

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On the battle between Fields and Wilson, Tomlin commented,

“We’ve got two really capable guys,”

“We’re going to create an environment where they get an opportunity to compete and see where they’re capable of.”

“Justin has really taken advantage of the opportunity for additional snaps because Russ has been out some the first week. Really just excited about the trajectory of it. Excited to continue to go with the process and having them display their skills.” Tomlin concluded.

While, clearly, it’s a good thing when you have two very capable quarterbacks to select from, there is a delicate balancing act to perform in order to avoid the prospect of a dressing room fallout. It helps that Wilson is the elder statesman, the ‘been there, done that’ option, alongside a player a decade his junior and in a perfect world, you’d want one to learn from the other, but life in the NFL is hardly ever a case of a perfect world scenario.

Tomlin’s take on the brawl was as straightforward and balanced as you come to expect from the long-serving Steelers head coach.

“We got a little bit less than professional and chippy today,”

“It’s an opportunity to teach and learn as part of this process. As much as we hate it, we’ll learn and grow from that.” Tomlin added.

Never one to make an unnecessary mountain out of a molehill, Tomlin will no doubt have had words in the locker room, and the matter will have been put to bed.

The new season is just on the horizon, and the Steelers start with a tricky visit to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face the Atlanta Falcons before another road trip takes them to the Denver Broncos. One imagines their opening home match against the Los Angeles Chargers in NFL Gameweek three will represent less of a challenge.