Throughout training camp and the preseason, one of the biggest storylines around the NFL was the battle for the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ starting quarterback job between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
The team acquired both players over the offseason, signing Wilson for the veteran minimum and acquiring Fields for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick in a trade with the Chicago Bears.
While Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin repeatedly said that Wilson was “in pole position” to start, Fields ultimately ended up starting in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons after Wilson suffered an injury.
What is Wilson’s injury, and how long will he be out?
What Is Russell Wilson’s Injury?
Wilson suffered a calf injury early in training camp, which sidelined him for two weeks.
It went away, and Wilson earned the starting job, but then it flared up again late last week and prevented him from playing in Week 1.
Wilson reportedly told the Steelers’ doctors that he could play, but they decided to be cautious with the veteran quarterback’s calf strain.
How Long Will Wilson Be Sidelined?
The fact that Wilson felt he could play is a positive sign that he shouldn’t be out for too long. Again, the last time Wilson dealt with this calf issue, it lasted roughly two weeks.
Tomlin recently provided an update on Wilson’s status, saying he “feels better today than he did over the weekend,” but he won’t practice until at least Thursday.
“As I sit here today, we’re preparing as if Justin is going to be our quarterback,” Tomlin said. “I think that’s the appropriate way to do it. Speculation is a waste of time. Russell’s hurt. He’s not available to us. So, as you guys know as a general practice, I focus my energy on those that are available and their readiness.”
Wilson is still listed as the No. 1 quarterback on the team’s depth chart, so one would assume that he will start once he’s healthy. However, when asked if Wilson would be the starter if he’s healthy enough to play on Sunday, Tomlin wouldn’t say, calling that a “big if.”
“We’re going to take the same approach that we take with a lot of people in terms of injury. We’ll first start with his participation and his level of participation, his quality of participation,” Tomlin explained.
“Over the course of the week, we’ll be analyzing whether he’s capable of protecting himself, whether he’s capable of being productive. When we get to those points, that’s when we’ll ponder his inclusion or not, and when that happens, it will probably be a component of that equation.”
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It remains to be seen how Tomlin and the Steelers will handle this situation. Wilson is listed as questionable for the Steelers’ Week 2 contest against the Denver Broncos (his former team), but Fields is expected to start.
If Fields struggles, Wilson will likely get an opportunity to start once he’s healthy. However, this is a terrific opportunity for Fields to show what he can do and potentially run away with the starting job.
How Did Fields Perform in Wilson’s Absence?
Fields led the Steelers to an 18-10 win over the Falcons, throwing for 156 yards with a 73.9% completion percentage while also rushing 14 times for 57 yards.
Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson believes that Fields showed enough to remain the Steelers’ starter even once Wilson is healthy.
“Fields didn’t lead the Steelers on any touchdown drives, but he consistently put Pittsburgh in position to pick up points,” Robinson wrote. “The former first-round pick made enough explosive plays to impress, but even more importantly, didn’t turn the ball over and took only two sacks.
“Fields missed on just six of his 23 attempts while averaging 6.8 yards per pass. While he fumbled his first snap of the game (and had another bad quarterback-center exchange on the same drive), Fields appeared far calmer and less frantic than he did during his time with the Chicago Bears.
“Of course, part of Fields’ selling point is his ability to create off-script. He finished 11th in EPA dropback when under pressure in Week 1. Fields ranked eighth in EPA per dropback from outside the pocket (minimum five attempts) but was just 24th from inside the pocket.
“Although Fields mostly stuck to short passes (his six-yard average depth of target ranked 25th on Sunday), he hit a few deep shots to WR George Pickens, who tracks the ball about as well as any NFL pass catcher.
“Of course, we haven’t even mentioned Fields’ ability as a rusher, which should give him another advantage over Wilson in the Steelers’ QB hierarchy. Fields’ nine designed rushing attempts and 14 total rushes (scrambles included) both ranked second among quarterbacks in Week 1. While Fields only generated 0.01 EPA per play on designed rushing attempts, he helped Pittsburgh bleed the clock near the end of their victory over the Falcons.
“Wilson may eventually work himself back into the Steelers’ quarterback mix, but for now, Tomlin has an easy choice — stick with Fields and run Pittsburgh’s offense through his strengths.”