The Pittsburgh Steelers held a quarterback battle throughout training camp between two new faces to the organization. The front office signed the veteran Russell Wilson and traded for the younger Justin Fields to make up its 2024 quarterback room.
Wilson is coming in fresh off a financial breakup with the Denver Broncos and was assumed to be the starting quarterback. He dealt with a lingering calf injury in the preseason, giving way to Fields getting more practice reps. Neither quarterback looked all that great in the Steelers' preseason games, leading to Wilson being named the starter for Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons by head coach Mike Tomlin.
Wilson's calf injury flared up again at the end of the Week 1 practice week, and his status for the game against Atlanta is up in the air. Will he be able to suit up, or will the Steelers have to make a last-second pivot to Fields as they look for a season-opening win?
Will Russell Wilson play in Week 1?
Wilson made the trip with the team to Atlanta on Saturday. He also reportedly told teammates that he is good to go, but the team doctors are slightly more cautious. Inactives for the early window of kickoffs are due at 11:30 a.m. ET and his official status will be decided then. Wilson went through some light pregame warmups, presumably testing his calf injury.
Wilson is officially listed as inactive by the Steelers. He is the emergency quarterback but will only see the field if starter Justin Fields and backup Kyle Allen both get injured. It will be important to monitor Wilson's practice status next week to see if he can play against the Denver Broncos on the road.
Is Russell Wilson injured?
Yes. Wilson hurt his calf in the early part of training camp. Starting quarterbacks don't typically see much game time in the preseason games, but it limited his practice time in a new offense. NFL analyst and former quarterback Chase Daniel suggested this was one of the worst injuries Wilson could have picked up. We have also seen the Steelers' offensive line struggle to hold off defensive lines, so a quarterback limited in mobility may be a bad situation for Pittsburgh.
Who is Russell Wilson's backup?
Fields began his career with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him with the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. While he impressed with his rushing ability, he couldn't maintain the same success in the passing game. Fields was traded to the Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He will play under the final year of his rookie contract and Pittsburgh did not pick up his fifth-year option.