Russell Wilson was unable to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season-opening game on Sunday due to a calf injury, and it sounds like the veteran quarterback will miss at least another week.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday that the team is preparing for Justin Fields to start again in Week 2. Tomlin added that Wilson is trending in the right direction and “feels better today than over the weekend.”
Mike Tomlin is preparing Justin Fields to start vs. Denver
Russell Wilson "feels better today than over the weekend."
Tomlin says they'll start with his participation, level of participation, quality of participation and then analyze if he can protect himself and be…
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 10, 2024
The Steelers will face the Denver Broncos on the road Sunday.
Wilson first suffered a calf injury during a conditioning test at the start of training camp. He then re-aggravated the injury last week and underwent testing. The issue is not believed to be serious, but Fields got the start for Pittsburgh in Week 1.
Fields went 17/23 for 156 yards and rushed for 57 yards on 14 carries against Atlanta. The Steelers won the game 18-10 despite not scoring a touchdown.
Wilson beat out Fields for the starting quarterback job during the offseason, though there were questions about whether the competition truly was open. Fields is Pittsburgh’s starter for now, even if he technically entered the year No. 2 on the depth chart.
