Russell Wilson 's balky right calf is improving. It just might not heal in time for him to wrest the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback job away from Justin Fields, at least in the short term.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he expects Wilson to see an uptick in his workload during practice this week, though Fields is expected to get the nod for a fifth straight week when Pittsburgh (3-1) hosts Dallas (2-2) on Sunday night.
The 35-year-old Wilson hasn't played since aggravating a calf injury shortly before the season opener in Atlanta. The Steelers have brought the nine-time Pro Bowler along slowly. He felt good enough to throw during 7-on-7 drills with the scout team but it's still uncertain when Wilson could get cleared to be a full participant.
“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 deflected questions for weeks about whether Fields has done enough to earn the starting gig outright. He did it again Tuesday, though a little less emphatically than before.
Asked if there's a chance he could stick with Fields as the “hot hand” much in the same fashion he did with Mason Rudolph at the end of last season as Kenny Pickett recovered from ankle surgery, Tomlin opened the door a bit.
“There’s a potential for that,” he said. “But we’re not there as I stand here today.”
That time is fast approaching, however, especially if Fields continues to improve as the weeks pass. Fields wasn't mistake-free in a 27-24 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday, but impressed Tomlin with the way he responded after a fumble early in the second half. Fields led Pittsburgh on three straight touchdown drives to get within striking distance on a day he finished with 367 yards of total offense (312 passing, 55 rushing) and three touchdowns total (one passing, two on the ground).
“I just think when you’re in those moments, you get an opportunity to show who you are in those moments (so) there's less speculation," Tomlin said. “And so some things that I was speculating about somewhat last week about his steady demeanor, about his competitiveness and so forth, just got solidified and verified with the challenges that we faced.”
Fields is completing 67% of his passes with three touchdowns and one interception through four games. His 98.0 quarterback rating is 10th among players who have started each game and his rushing total against the Colts was a team high. He's also growing more aggressive as he gets more comfortable running first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's scheme.
Tomlin pointed to the length of the season still to go as one of the reasons the Steelers have not tried to rush Wilson back, particularly as he deals with a calf problem that's been bothering him since the first day of training camp. Wilson is no longer the scrambler he was a decade ago, and Pittsburgh's offensive line is dealing with a string of injuries, the latest an Achilles tendon tear to right guard James Daniels on Sunday that ended Daniels' season.
The Steelers are optimistic veteran Isaac Seumalo — out since late August with a pectoral injury — will be able to return against Dallas. The rest of the line will feature first or second-year players at three of the other four positions. It won't be enough for Wilson to merely be able to plant and throw. He's going to have to show the coaching staff he can get out of harm's way while also being able to run the entirety of the offense without limitations to receive “serious consideration” to play, Tomlin said.
It may take some time for Wilson to get to that point. If Fields avoids any major setbacks, by the time Wilson is healthy it may be too late to stay atop the depth chart.
Asked if there's anything specific Fields can do to convince Tomlin he's the better option than a healthy Wilson, Tomlin just smiled.
“Just play well,” he said. “Win. That’s our business.”
