Mike Tomlin has insisted his decision to continue starting Justin Fields has been a simple one due to Russell Wilson’s health, and one prominent reporter says the Pittsburgh Steelers coach is telling the truth.
Some have wondered if the Steelers are slow-playing Wilson’s injury since the team is 3-0 and has looked good with Fields under center. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says that is not the case. In a column that was published on Wednesday, Fowler wrote that Wilson’s calf injury is “no joke, and playing/practicing in the preseason seemed to make it worse.”
Fowler added that he still believes Wilson showed better command of Pittsburgh’s offense during the offseason than Fields. The reporter said Wilson is “simply not moving at a high clip at this point” while recovering from his nagging calf injury.
Wilson initially suffered the calf injury during a conditioning test at the start of training camp. He was still able to beat out Fields for the starting job, but he aggravated the injury leading up to Week 1. That gave Fields an opportunity to start, and the 25-year-old has made the most of it thus far.
Even if Wilson were close to full strength, there would be no reason to rush him back. But if Wilson’s calf is truly still an issue, that explains why head coach Mike Tomlin gave such a blunt response this week when asked about Fields’ status as the team’s starter.
