Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) & Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) during practice on Aug. 4, 2024. Kylee Surike | Special to PennLivePennLive
PITTSBURGH — Russell Wilson will not rule himself out against the Atlanta Falcons, but the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback knows he needs to take it easy, even if he plays on Sunday. The Steelers got good news when they examined Wilson’s calf after he complained of tightness during Thursday’s practice.
If I can go, I’m going to go and try to do everything I can to help us win… if not, I’m going to do everything I can to help us win in that way, too… I’m going to do everything, as you guys know, to be ready to rock,” Wilson said after practice.
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In individual drills, Justin Fields led the way, not Wilson. Fields always prepares like he is the starting quarterback anyway, so there was no meaningful change for him when he was thrust into action on Thursday once Wilson got injured.
“You hate these nagging things. I’ve been feeling great the last few weeks. I’ve been feeling really good. Just kind of felt a little funny yesterday,” Wilson said.
Meanwhile, Wilson is not concerned about his ability to play without a Friday practice. He has done that many times in the past.
“There’s been times where I maybe have been limited in some practices in the past and still played on Sunday. I’m not worried about that,” Wilson said.
Would the gameplan change with the former Chicago Bears quarterback under center? Maybe to a degree, with a heavier dose of quarterback run game. However, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith would go up to Fields and ask him what he likes already, even if he was not going to start if Wilson suffered an injury during the game. It seems that will not change with Wilson potentially hurt.
This is after Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin sent a warning to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris about preparing for a Fields package. Of course, he might just have to prepare for an entire game of Fields if Wilson can not play.
“My friend Raheem Morris better be ready for a Justin Fields package,” Tomlin told Rich Eisen. “I don’t want to disclose any strategic approaches, but there’s too much talent to be sitting around watching.”
Morris heard that and said the Falcons have prepared for Fields. It could be a gigantic waste of time for Morris, but even if Wilson plays, it feels like the Steelers will mix Fields into the gameplan a bit, partially to protect Wilson.
“Mike Tomlin told me to prepare for Justin Fields,” Morris said. “So we did. That’s a nice way to make me waste time. He’s a master at it. And he’s conducting a masterclass, or he’s not. And Fields is gonna show up.”
So, the Steelers will not know who their starting quarterback is before Wilson goes through his pregame warmup and determines what he can do. If Wilson can play, the Steelers might have a limited playbook to limit his mobility. The risk of reinjuring his calf and turning this into a Joe Burrow or Aaron Rodgers situation remains the biggest risk the Steelers could take with Wilson, so they might exercise caution.
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