The Pittsburgh Steelers squeaked out an 18-10 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 without starting quarterback Russell Wilson. Unfortunately, head coach Mike Tomlin and company may have to run it back without Wilson under center on Sunday.
Tomlin said Wilson will be “questionable” to play against the Denver Broncos, via PGH Steelers Now's Alan Saunders.
“#Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that QB Russell Wilson will be listed questionable, and added that if his chances of playing are questionable, his chances of starting at less so,” Saunders said. “Sounds like it’ll probably be Justin Fields on Sunday.”
Wilson aggravated his training camp calf injury in practice prior to the opening game. However, the 13th-year veteran promised that he's getting “closer” and is simply thinking with a long-term mindset, via ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
“I'm just trying to be smart,” Wilson said following Thursday's practice. “Got to do a lot of work today on the field and everything else, throwing and all that, so just trying to be smart.”
Will Pittsburgh get another victory with Justin Fields at the helm?
The Steelers can afford to sit Russell Wilson another week
While Pittsburgh didn't bring Wilson in on a one-year “prove it” deal to be a backup, the team should be able to survive without him against the Broncos. The Steelers have an exceptional defense, led by All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt, that will be a tough matchup for Denver rookie quarterback Bo Nix. A similar game script to the Steelers-Falcons game can be expected, with the contest being decided by the defense and the run game.
While Fields' NFL career hasn't gone as he'd envisioned after being taken 11th overall by the Chicago Bears in 2021, he's easily one of the league's best backups. The 25-year-old's rushing ability makes him a threat to punish the defense whenever it doesn't account for him with a quarterback spy, as he displayed with his 57 yards on 14 carries against Atlanta.
Fields was unimpressive throwing the ball against the Falcons, but he took care of the ball, finishing with 17 completions in 23 attempts for 156 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. The Ohio State alum out-dueled Atlanta's Kirk Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the club this past offseason.
Although Wilson is 35 years old and coming off of a turbulent tenure in Denver, there's reason to believe that he can bounce back. The nine-time Pro Bowler tossed 26 touchdowns with just eight picks, although his 6.9 yards per attempt was the last mark of his career. Regardless, he's now on a perennial playoff team and has a chance to thrive in such an environment.
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