Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is expected to be active for the first time this season on Sunday in Las Vegas, according to head coach Mike Tomlin.
Wilson practiced fully throughout the week and is close to returning from a calf injury that has kept him out of the first five games.
“I thought he had a good week,” Tomlin said. “He has proven his health, and now it’s just a matter of knocking the rust off.”
Justin Fields will make his sixth straight start for the Steelers (3-2), but Wilson might serve as the backup after being the emergency quarterback for the first five games behind Fields and Kyle Allen.
“I like what I’ve seen out here, but again, health and rust are two different things,” Tomlin said. “I thought he had a good week displaying his health, his ability to protect himself, and now it’s just the process of getting reacclimated to the ball.”
Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler who signed a one-year deal in March, mentioned on Thursday that he believed he would be ready to play and contribute to the Steelers in whatever way Tomlin needed.
“It’s a process, a process that I don’t love in terms of just having to go through what I’ve been going through, but also at the same time you get to figure out your fortitude, the mental fortitude,” Wilson said, “and also understanding that you can always lead in different ways and everything else.”
