so the Steelers posted their depth chart yesterday Russell Wilson is qb1 for right now but the Battle of course is on between him and Justin Fields the Steelers will play the Texans Friday night in their preseason opener earlier this morning Mike Tomlin said Russell Wilson will not play in that game here's more of what Tomlin said about the QBs what point do you become concerned about the the lack of Reps for Russ in the first team offense I'm not would you still categorize this as a quarterback competition if it is how do you wait what happens on the practice field here versus what happens in the stadium very much is a competition um what happens in stadium is weighted heavier than what happens in a practice setting because it's more game likee do you still view Russell is having that poll position and and being ahead of Justin in that you guys saw the depth chart that I released yesterday that is real I've missed him I've missed him so much he is the best speaker of words in the world no one says words better than he does he's a National Treasure protect that man at all cost but but listen to all the things that he said okay so Russell Wilson is number one on the depth chart but he has missed so much practice and now he's not going to play in the preseason game which would suggest that Justin Fields is going to play in the preseason game and he just told us that what happens in the game is more important than what happens on the practice field how is this trending Kimberly Martin this is the Steelers getting a much needed look at Justin fields in as close to real life action as you can get it is the preseason but what do we talk about how in training camp there are only so many first team reps that can go around and if if Russ has pull position where are you going to get Justin field sometime in practice well what do you know Russ has I think a little hammy now it's like oh we're going to sit him we're going to restr him okay now Russell's not going to play he's a vet let's see the kid this is Listen Justin Fields has needs every opportunity to separate himself and to Showcase what he's what makes him different Mike Tomlin told reporters listen the reality is his escapeability his Mobility like all of that his athleticism that is attractive those are weapons and that's what he has over Russell Wilson I I can by the way add to what we are reporting and you see it on your screen there that news conference is happening like while we're on the air so I had not had a chance to see or hear this but he did also say that Justin Fields will get a couple Series in the game so no Russell Wilson Justin fields on the field how important is this yeah it's a massive opportunity and again from a scheme standpoint this is a great fit between Justin fields and Arthur Smith the new offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers green you go back a couple years ago Ryan tanah Hill had back-to-back tremendous seasons in Tennessee with Arthur Smith Ryan tanah Hill and Fields have a very similar game great deep action play action throwers both can make plays with their feet and let's face it with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both being free agents at the end of the season this is not your rudimentary quarterback competition this is about the future this is a big opportunity for Fields even though it's August look a competition Hawk suggests to me that it is not one person's job it is there to be taken and it feels like Justin Fields is getting the chance to take it we'll have to wait and see if he does but right that that's I think that's the only way to read this thing yeah absolutely now I don't he says Russell Wilson is in the lead but to your point this is a big opportunity and this is what training camp in the preseason is made up the thing that they'll be grading Justin fields on is do we know he has playmaking ability we've all seen him play in the NFL absolutely he does of course he's mobile of course he can throw the football but how does he operate the specific offense of Arthur Smith because if you look at last year with gy there was clear friction in the middle of the Season where Justin Fields said look I got to play my game and he actually played better that won't work in this version because they're going to judge him based off of what Arthur Smith wants to be in that offense so in these preseason games how does he operate what Arthur Smith is asking him and not just can he make a lot of big plays because he will it's a preseason and he is a first round pick who has a ton of ability okay so so so that's that part of it now I know what you're doing you're sitting at home you're watching your TV and you're saying greeny did he address auk or not there's the stories out there that the Steelers are involved in trade competition or excuse me trade conversations with San Francisco for Brandon auk yes he did sort of address that here's what was said uh you know I'll let you guys speculate on that oh man let's go let's go let's go Cindy tell me when we can play it again because I want I how these things rect just look at the smile on his face as he says it just play it again uh you know I'll let you guys speculate on that that man look at look at look at that face look at that face I love it send me to Pittsburgh now he loves it yeah that tells you everything they're in the lead right now I mean he could have denied it he could said I'm happy with who we have that that is a great okay so you're reading into that you're reading into that comment 100% yeah there they're in the lead he feels good about where they are um because alternatively he would just say look we believe in Roman Wilson we believe in George Pickins and everything else we have and by him not saying that uh as you said he is a master of words that tells me a lot right there and based on the not just his face but based on the conversations I've had about this whole Brandon auk situation we already know a shefer reported the Patriots pulled out I was told Brandon auk does not want to play in New England he does not want to play in Cleveland which leaves two teams guys unless a dark horse emerges but that leaves you know the Steelers a team that Brandon auk has already said he would play for and then the San Francisco 49ers and because the Washington so let me remind everyone because you know the summertime everyone's kind of out of their uh their regular routine perhaps Brandon auk before the hold in before any of this happened went on the pivot with RC and those guys and he said that the likeliest scenario is that he winds up in playing in San Francisco that the two other places he could see are Pittsburgh and Washington we decl we we uh sort of broke down earlier why it might not make sense for Washington at this stage as they're building to give up compensation and all this money for the wide receiver so that kind of leaves Pittsburgh what do you think of it Hawk yeah I mean we know that Pittsburgh supposedly exited the talks so the fact that they're back in tells you to Kim Kmart's point this is a place where IU can see himself playing and also that the Steelers want to make this happen so look this will change the fabric of the AFC North I am also reading into Tom lind's demeanor it sounds like he feels very confident that they are close or this thing might even be done you know what's interesting to me is if Amari Cooper was part of the package going from Cleveland and if San Francisco presumably is asking for a receiver like I wonder what that Dynamic looks like to get a deal done look we said at the time I remember having this conversation with RC when they came in here this is going to come down to how ugly Brandon auk is willing to make it right in San Francisco because you know they don't want to trade him they have a chance an excellent chance to win the Super Bowl and it is diminished to at least some degree and maybe a significant degree by trading him away so you know they don't want to do it so he has to make them do it and it feels like that's the direction it's gone yeah the thing to me that stands out though is the commanders being the team that he really wants to play like he wants to play with Jane Daniels I wonder I don't know if ruk wants to be the Top PA like the highest paid wide receiver maybe he's in that top mix but that's what San Francisco can do San Francisco can say hey for this year let's figure out how to get you more money and after this year you know we we part ways what are the rules on that like right now we he's scheduled to make $4 million the top guys are making 3035 million C can they adjust his contract for just one season yeah they absolutely can and what you've seen in the past is more fundamentally the agreement not to franchise them at the end of the year and that's really what look if you pay $5 million 7 million that's not going to change his life the ability to go out there and make over 30 million for five six years will and that's why if you put a Band-Aid on it the stipulation of him being an unfettered free agent would be really important very quickly was I told that we have Mike Tomlin smile Frozen quickly that we can just show again I so enjoyed look just look at that that is the that's the face of a man who's about to get a number one wide right that's what it looks like so we'll see we'll wait and see all right we got baseball coming you way Little League World for for look okay for you fore spee foreign [Music] for for spee for e foree for