The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves embroiled in a training camp QB battle. Newcomers Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are duking it out for a chance to become the team's starter in 2024. Russell Wilson has the inside track due to his veteran experience, but he missed practice on Thursday. This gave Justin Fields the chance to show what he's got while repping with the first team.
Fields had a couple of solid plays, including a 50-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson that went viral on social media. Some believe that Fields is beginning to show why he is capable of winning the starting job in Pittsburgh.
The Athletic's Steelers insider Mark Kaboly was quick to pump the brakes on that narrative.
“Don't get fooled of what you see on the internet of a long pass. I mean, he did the same thing he did in OTAs,” Kaboly said via 93.7 The Fan. “He looked spectacular at times. He looked suspect at times as well. I mean, that throw that you're probably seeing on the internet right now, the 50-yarder to Van Jefferson, it's seven on seven…Donte Jackson fell at the line of scrimmage, so [Jefferson] was running free.”
In the above clip, you cannot see Jackson fall down. However, it is clear how much separation Van Jefferson had on the route.
The biggest takeaway here is to not overreact to July training camp clips — especially ones with little to no context. We aren't saying that Fields is doing a bad job solely based on the clip. Instead, that this portion of camp does not mean that much in the grand scheme of things.
The preseason will be an important phase for Fields, as he will be put in a position to succeed against opposing teams' second- and third-string defenses.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reveals why Russell Wilson missed practice on Thursday
But why was Wilson absent from practice in the first place?
According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says QB Russell Wilson “woke up with a tight calf” today and he held him out of practice for that reason. Tomlin calls him day-to-day.
This is not a concerning reason to miss time during training camp. It stands to reason that Wilson will be repping with the ones whenever he returns to training camp practice. We should be careful to assume that Fields will keep getting first-team reps — he is being forced into that position, not awarded it.
Wilson has looked good thus far in a Steelers uniform. It is encouraging to see him fit in after two rough years with the Denver Broncos.
Wilson had surprisingly solid stats in 2023, which begs the question of whether he was solely responsible for the team's failures in 2023. It also introduces the possibility of what he could become in 2024 with a competent coaching staff and talented supporting cast.
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