Steelers OC Arthur Smith Confirms QB Competition

The Pittsburgh Steelers do indeed have an open quarterback competition.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have as talented a set of top two quarterbacks as you will find in the NFL this year and that has many clamoring for a true quarterback competition, one where Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will be able to truly battle it out for the starting job.

Wilson appears to have an iron grip on the race right now but Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, speaking to the media for the first time since the NFL Draft, finally addressed the matter head on and acknowledged there will be competition between the two players this summer.

“Russ is in the pole position. It's a competition," Smith said. "Obviously we get to Latrobe. I mean certainly I'm sure things will heat up, but both those guys knew that however they were acquired and they got here and I think it's been pretty transparent.”

Smith's comments echo that of head coach Mike Tomlin, who said the older veteran Russell Wilson, whom the Steelers aquired first because of his cheap free agent price tag and wealth of winning experience in the NFL, was in "pole position" to win the starting job coming out of training camp. He added that Fields will get ample chances to show what he can do and the Steelers will go from there, but Wilson owns the lead for now.

After three weeks of Organized Team Activities, that philosophy has played out on the field. Wilson has taken the vast majority of reps with what could be loosely described as the first team but Fields has taken some snaps there as well. The real competition will come later this summer, when the team convenes at St. Vincent College for training camp. They will put pads on and play some more 11-on-11 football that will reveal more about where either player stands.

The assumption is that the more decorated Wilson would eventually win this competition anyway but Smith isn't treating it as a foregone conclusion. He'll get a good look at his two new quarterbacks before making any final decisions about the starter under center for the Steelers when they face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.

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