Kovacevic: Wilson's the leader, but Fields vows he's 'definitely competing' taken on the South Side (DK's Grind)

TAYLOR OLLASON / STEELERS

Justin Fields hands off to fullback Jack Colletto in a drill Tuesday on the South Side.

"This one's for the AFC championship. Right here. Run it like that."

It's insane that anyone would've spoken anything to this effect on one of the Steelers' opening drills of OTAs, but this, according to Calvin Austin, came from Russell Wilson to the rest of his offensive mates upon breaking a huddle Tuesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side. And, apparently, it came from somewhere in the vicinity of his soul.

While wearing shorts.

"That's Russ," Austin would recall for me later. "He's been there. He knows what the big situations are like, how to beat them. He wants us to feel that."

A few minutes after this talk, Pat Freiermuth would tell me, regarding Wilson, "He's been awesome. Just totally taking charge. We love it."

And a few minutes after that, Arthur Smith roamed into the room, clearly scanning the space for someone, before plopping onto a stool next to Wilson to sift through some papers he'd been carrying.

One gets the picture. Wilson's in the 'pole position' to be the starting quarterback, as Mike Tomlin craftily phrased it a couple months ago, but it's more than that. The ball's his. The calls are his. The offense, if we venture beyond craftiness, is his.

He knows it, too. 

Asked after the workout about any possible competition with his clear backup in Justin Fields, the 25-year-old, three-year NFL starter in Chicago who's 10 years his younger, Wilson casually replied, "I think every day you just look to be the best version of you. I think that's always the competition internally, and then you're always competing against the other 31 other teams, and so I think that you step on the field with that mentality. Nothing should ever change. So, that's how I've always looked at it. And that's the part I embrace."

You betcha.

Which leaves Fields ... where, exactly?

Mike Tomlin wasn't about to wave any checkered flag in mid-May, though he did offer a general assessment of how he's getting to know both players in short order when asked about them on this day: "That's been ongoing. It didn't just start today. Those guys have been really good in terms of their participation and engagement. It's been a fun process. It's been a fun process to get to know them and, really, the way that you get to know someone professionally is to share experiences. And so, the things that we're doing out here are critical to get to the process."

Also this acknowledgement that both arrive here with pedigree: "They're professionals. And so I'm excited about that, but I'm not surprised by it. There's an expectation there. Both guys have been franchise-like guys, if you will. They've gotten out of their cars in the morning and worn the responsibility of being that guy for a franchise and so there's residual benefit from that. And so, I'm excited about us receiving it."

Where might it go, though? Could there become even the slightest semblance of a competition? If not now, then in Latrobe? Or beyond?

Everyone had heard from Tomlin and Wilson on this subject, but this setting represented the first interview of any kind of Fields since the trade that brought him from the Bears. And, I thought, he had several compelling things to say:

• On the evening of March 16: “When I first got traded, it was like 10 p.m. in Italy. I was having dinner. I had mixed emotions. I was excited, but also sad that I was leaving Chicago. But since my time here, I’ve enjoyed it a lot. Meeting my new teammates, the coaches ... everybody here’s great. They’ve definitely made the transition easier, for sure.”

• On Tomlin: “Just listening to Coach T, the way he talks to the team, he might go down as the best coach I’ve ever played for. Just speaking to the team as a leader, he has that focal point. He’s been great. I got here, he’s been straight up and honest with me. I appreciate that."

• On Arthur Smith's offense: "He’s very meticulous in the way he explains the offense. He’s very detailed. We’ve been focusing on setting the foundation, not really getting too far ahead of ourselves, setting the blocks, setting that base, not working too far ahead, but also getting a good amount to where guys can learn and process it and know the why behind certain things.”

• On whether he sees himself as competing with Wilson: “To be honest, I’m taking it day by day. I’m definitely competing. I think Russ knows that. We’re competing against each other every day. ... I definitely don’t have the mindset of me just sitting all year. I’m coming in every day, giving it all I got, pushing him to be his best, and he’s pushing me to be my best each and every day. I appreciate that.”

• On their longstanding relationship: “The first time I ever talked to Russell is when I was in college, so we’ve known each other for a good bit now. The fact that I get to learn stuff from him, the things that he’s accomplished up to this point in his career, has been great. Just me learning the little details of how he’s so meticulous and detailed within every rep and every individual drill, it just makes me think that’s what I should be doing every time. I’m glad to have him here and being able to learn from him.”

• On Chicago: “There were a lot of ups and downs, but all in all, I appreciate every relationship that I built, all my teammates. They know I've got nothing but love for the city, for the fans and for my old teammates and coaches.”

• On whether the Bears made mistakes with him: “I’m not really going to harp on the past. It is what it is. It’s in the past now. I’m here now. Like I said, I’m grateful to be here and grateful to be a part of this team.”

• On how he'd let the GM there, Ryan Poles, know he'd prefer to go to Pittsburgh: “I’m just glad I got traded to the spot I wanted to be at. It was definitely a relief to be on a team and know where I’m going to be at. Shout-out to Poles. We communicated to him through my agent. I told him where I wanted to be. This was the place I wanted to be. He honored that. I appreciate him for that.”

• On how he can grow as a quarterback: “I’ve just gotta keep working every day, keep being detailed in every drill, not taking a day off. It’s good having Russ here, learning from him, us pushing each other each and every day. I think just controlling what I can control every time I step on the field, just ball out and play to the best of my abilities and let God handle the rest.”

• On the city: “I will say this: I think Pittsburgh has a lot of nice people. I’ve taken a few Ubers to the airport and I’ve had full 30-minute conversations with the Uber drivers. Just the people, their generosity, their niceness. I’m going out and people don’t even know who I am, they’re just being so nice to me. I think that’s one thing that I’ve noticed. I’ve started going on walks this past offseason, so just different views of the city, the bridges and stuff like that, it’s pretty cool to me.”

Believe it or not, there was a ton more. Kid stood there at his stall, facing a flank of cameras and microphones for more than 20 minutes.

He's not just a backdrop here.

• I've got not one but two additional columns from this event that offered extraordinary access, the main one on Pat Freiermuth and another one on the offensive line.

• Thanks for reading my football coverage.

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