Even though Justin Fields has the Pittsburgh Steelers tied for first place in the AFC North going into Week 6, his time as starting quarterback could be coming to an end very soon.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there’s a belief from some people around the NFL that Russell Wilson will “eventually” surpass Fields on the depth chart now that the nine-time Pro Bowler appears to be fully recovered from a calf injury.

However, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported it’s “been made clear” in recent weeks that the Steelers players and coaches “love” Fields.

Wilson had been practicing on a limited basis through the first five weeks of the regular season. He returned to full practice this week and is expected to be active for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Friday that Wilson is “probably” going to be active this week, serving as the No. 2 quarterback behind Fields.

“I like what I’ve seen out there, but again, health and rust are two different things. I thought he had a good week displaying his health, his ability to protect himself. Now it’s just a process of getting reacclimated,” Tomlin said.

Wilson originally injured his calf during a conditioning test at the start of training camp in July. He was able to play in each of Pittsburgh’s final two preseason games, leading a touchdown drive on the first possession against the Detroit Lions on Aug. 24.

The Steelers elected not to put Wilson on injured reserve at the start of the season, which would have kept him out for a minimum of four games. His return comes at a time when Fields’ runway appears to be getting smaller with the offense struggling.

Pittsburgh ranks 23rd in yards (299.4) and 26th in points per game (18.4). The offense has committed five turnovers in the past three games, with Fields responsible for two of them (one interception, one lost fumble).

Fields is still having issues holding onto the ball. His five fumbles are tied for most in the NFL. His 43 fumbles since entering the league in 2021 are eight more than anyone else during that span.

Wilson hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since Week 16 last season with the Denver Broncos. He threw for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and completed 66.4 percent of his attempts in 15 starts during the 2023 campaign.

The Steelers upcoming games after this week are against the New York Jets and New York Giants before a bye in Week 9.