At this point, it might be obvious to say and write. In some loose ways, Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers have framed a competition between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Wilson is the front-runner in pole position or whatever other term Tomlin and the world want to use. But the team has kept the door open for Fields, who is entering with the correct mindset of pushing Wilson for the job.
On paper, that framing should carry over into training camp, with a starter not officially named until shortly before Week 1. But it feels like a farce — one we just went through in the summer of 2022 when the team sold a “battle” between Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph.