Russell Wilson’s sore right calf is getting better, but it might not heal quickly enough for him to take back the starting quarterback position from Justin Fields, at least for now.
Coach Mike Tomlin mentioned on Tuesday that he expects Wilson to increase his practice workload this week, but Fields is still likely to start for a fifth consecutive week when Pittsburgh (3-1) plays against Dallas (2-2) on Sunday night.
Wilson, who is 35 years old, hasn’t played since he hurt his calf right before the season opener in Atlanta. The Steelers have been cautious with the nine-time Pro Bowler. He felt well enough to participate in throwing drills with the scout team, but it’s unclear when he will be cleared to practice fully.
“We will evaluate his ability to move and function and protect himself and obviously evaluate his level of productivity,” Tomlin said. “And we’ll let that be our guide in terms of whether we get into serious consideration as we push forward toward game time this week.”
Tomlin has avoided questions for weeks about whether Fields has done enough to keep the starting job. He did the same on Tuesday, but with slightly less certainty than before.
When asked if there’s a chance he might stick with Fields as the “hot hand,” similar to how he handled Mason Rudolph at the end of last season while Kenny Pickett recovered from ankle surgery, Tomlin opened up a bit.
“There’s a potential for that,” he said. “But we’re not there as I stand here today.”
That moment is getting closer, especially if Fields keeps improving. Although Fields made some mistakes in a 27-24 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday, he impressed Tomlin with how he bounced back after a fumble early in the second half.
Fields led Pittsburgh on three consecutive touchdown drives to bring them back into the game, finishing with 367 total yards (312 passing and 55 rushing) and three touchdowns (one passing and two rushing).
