PITTSBURGH — As long as I have been coming to Pittsburgh, I’m always intrigued by the configuration of the rivers around the football stadium. The Allegheny and Monongahela rivers converge near Acrisure Stadium to form the Ohio River and provide a beautiful backdrop for an autumn afternoon football game.

On Sunday, the convergence of the three rivers corresponded to the convergence of compelling aspirations when the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the Baltimore Ravens in the first signpost game of the season for each team. The aspirations belonged to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, quarterback Russell Wilson, and backup quarterback Justin Fields.

Each man wants to win a championship — Tomlin and Wilson already have, Fields wants to be shown the way. They made a conscious choice to come together in Pittsburgh to achieve their goals. The process has been fascinating to watch: A mentorship chain between three generations of Black men: a 52-year-old coach, his 35-year-old starting quarterback and a 25-year-old backup.

In a typical rock ’em sock ’em Ravens-Steelers slugfest, Pittsburgh prevailed 18-16 on Sunday, but the final score is merely a footnote to the larger aspirations.

Tomlin has won a Super Bowl championship, but not in a while. Wilson, has also won a championship, but not in a while. Fields, a former first-round draft pick who was traded away by the team who drafted him, is simply trying to regain his confidence and find his footing.

In his 18th season as Steelers coach, Tomlin may have the best possible scenario to achieve a special season. Not only do the Steelers have their typically outstanding defense but, for the first time in many years, they have a quarterback. They have two talented highly motivated quarterbacks: Wilson and Fields.

Wilson’s presence in Pittsburgh is not just about finding a good landing spot but restoring dignity. He was on his way to a certain Hall of Fame career in Seattle where he had led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title and was a goal line interception away from winning a second. He was traded from Seattle to Denver. In his second season there, he ran into a coach, Sean Payton, who didn’t want him and let it be known. Wilson was unceremoniously booted out of Denver. The lingering image many may have of Wilson is of the quarterback standing on the sideline and being chewed out by Payton.

In Fields, the Steelers have a young, talented quarterback with an amazing ceiling. Fields was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. He set the single-game regular-season record for quarterback rushing yards and even became the third NFL quarterback to have a 1,000-yard rushing season. But Fields became a stepchild in Chicago. He was not drafted by the new regime, was constantly criticized, and was subjected to multiple offensive coordinators. After three seasons with the Bears, Fields was traded to the Steelers in 2024.

Wilson is looking for rejuvenation, Fields is seeking redemption. They may yet find both in Pittsburgh.

Tomlin and the Steelers have great quarterback insurance. If any of the other contending NFL teams loses its starting quarterback, their chances are basically over.

If the 35-year-old Wilson should go down with an injury, the Steelers still have Fields, who started the regular season when Wilson suffered a calf injury. Fields led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record and generally received positive reviews.

Then he learned an important lesson. After Fields led the Steelers to that encouraging start, Tomlin announced that Wilson would be the starter in a Week 7 game against the New York Jets. It wasn’t that Fields had played poorly. Tomlin said Fields had been “really good” in his six starts. But, Tomlin added, “that is not to be confused with great.”

Fields did not disagree.

“I mean, I don’t think I’ve played good enough, if I’m being real with you,” he told reporters before returning to the bench.

“If I’m being real with myself, I think if I did play well enough, I don’t think there would be any sort of question of who should be playing and who should not. At the end of the day, we got a few wins, I’m glad about that, but there are areas that I can get better at, and I’m just going to continue to work on those and continue to get better.”

Fields is learning. He’s growing and he is definitely in the Steelers’ plans. On Sunday against Baltimore, with the game hanging in the balance, Fields was part of a package designed to exploit his versatility.

On Pittsburgh’s first drive of the third quarter, with Pittsburgh clinging to a 9-7 lead, Fields came in and ran for eight yards. Two plays later, the Steelers kicked a field goal to extend the lead to 12-7. On the Ravens final drive of the fourth quarter, Fields came in on second down and ran around left end easily, gaining nine yards. Fields could have gained the needed 10, but he slid too early.

No matter, the Steelers have given opponents something else to worry about. This may not have been the role Fields envisioned for himself, but he’s potentially playing a championship role.

“We haven’t been bashful about our intentions,” Tomlin said after Sunday’s game. “He’s a capable dude and we’re going to utilize him. He’s really talented. I’m excited about both these quarterbacks we got on our roster. They’re both going to be the reasons why we’re successful and have been.”

Before Sunday’s game against Baltimore, Tomlin was asked if having a talented quarterback with extraordinary running skills like Fields helped the defense prepare for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Tomlin scoffed.

“No,” he said.

Tomlin conceded Sunday that Fields had indeed been a great help. “He had a heck of a week representing Mr. Jackson for us,” he said. “I’m glad he had an opportunity to contribute and put his hand in the pile and be a component of why we were successful.”

In coming weeks, the Steelers will face quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, and of course Jackson once more. Fields will play an important role in practice and will likely have a larger role during games.

“I believe Justin Fields is a franchise quarterback,” Wilson said after Sunday’s game. “He’s a great player, he’s a great teammate, he’s a hard worker.”

Tomlin explained that the reason there has not been friction in the quarterback room between Fields and Wilson is less about the coach and more about the players. “They’re really good people, they’re supportive of each other,” he said.

There is a respect between these three accomplished African American men. In 2009, when Tomlin became the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl, Wilson was 20 years old. Fields was 10.

When Wilson won his Super Bowl championship with Seattle in 2013, Fields was 14 years old. They have grown up in the game admiring each other. Now here they all are, working to achieve something special.

“It’s all about us together,” Wilson said Sunday. “We’re doing it, we’re having fun while doing it.”

There is plenty more football to play. Pittsburgh has six more games, and they meet the Ravens again in Baltimore on Dec. 21. They also have to play Philadelphia and the Kansas City Chiefs.

When a reporter asked Tomlin to put Wilson’s season in perspective, Tomlin in his wisdom said it’s way too early.

“I think he’s still writing that story, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said.

He did, however, know why he wanted Wilson to be the Steelers starter.

“There was a myriad of reasons why I had the posture that I had,” he said. “His résumé being a component of it, his experience, and I thought his experience could be an asset to our unit and our team, and that has played out. His talents, his appetite for big moments, and I think that’s played out some.

“There’s a myriad of reasons, and I just think it’ll be continually revealed because of the circumstances that he and we will be in. And I’m excited about facing those things with him, and I’m excited about him, quite frankly, getting better. Sometimes, you see guys that have been around as long as he has or has the type of résumé that he has, they’re somewhat resistant to new things or critiques and things of that nature — avenues in which men get better — and he’s not resistant to any of those things and that makes it fun as well.”

I’m not sure how much either fan base can take away from the Steelers’ victory over the Ravens on Sunday. This was a brutal, highly emotional rivalry game that will be replayed next month in Baltimore.

One thing I know for certain: For Tomlin, Wilson and Fields, the confluence of championship aspirations is burning hotter than ever.