He said he is prepared to start if quarterback Justin Herbert’s ankle isn’t sound enough to allow him to play in coming weeks.

Though the Chargers were without an injured Justin Herbert and Joey Bosa for much of the game, the Steelers played the part of a legitimate AFC contender and are now 3-0 to start the season, marking the first time in Fields’s young career that he’s won three consecutive games.

There's no denying Herbert's toughness but the organization's job is to protect its greatest asset, even if it means missing a game.