Tomlin Says Dixon Still Has Opportunity To Earn Starting Job

Even though all signs have pointed towards Mike Tomlin naming Byron Leftwich the starting quarterback when the Pittsburgh Steelers start the 2010 regular season, there’s still plenty of room for Dennis Dixon to convince Tomlin that he should be the guy that lines up under center against the Atlanta Falcons at Heinz Field. Tomlin said as much to the NFL Network early this week:

“He’s got to take the job if he’s going to take it,” Tomlin told NFL Network. “He’s doing a nice job thus far, and we’re going to continue to give him opportunities to do that.”

Dixon certainly made a nice early case for himself on Saturday night during the Steelers’ preseason debut against the Lions. The former Oregon Ducks great completed 6-of-7 passes for 128 passing yards and a TD pass. He also ran for 31 yards during Pittsburgh’s 23-7 victory. Stay tuned to see how the two do on Saturday against the Giants, as well as to see how Ben Roethlisberger looks in what will be his first and perhaps only preseason snaps of the year.