Russell Wilson is inching closer to a return to action for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but head coach Mike Tomlin has made it clear the team are in no rush to bring him back
The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be in no hurry to bring Russell Wilson back into the starting line-up.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, revealed that Wilson will continue to gradually increase his participation in practice this week. The quarterback has only been able to participate in a limited capacity and has missed all four of Pittsburgh’s games while recovering from a persistent calf injury he reaggravated on September 5.
However, even when Wilson is fully fit, Tomlin admitted it’s not a given that he’ll regain the starting position. Justin Fields, who stepped in for the 35-year-old, has led the Steelers to a 3-1 record, completing 77-of-109 passes for 830 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He’s also rushed 38 times for 145 yards and scored three touchdowns.
“There’s a potential for that, but we’re not there, as I stand here today,” said Tomlin, when asked if Fields’ impressive performance so far has made Wilson’s health irrelevant in deciding which quarterback will start.
Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Steelers, has not ruled out the possibility that Justin Fields’ performances could influence the recovery timeline for Russell Wilson. He remarked: “It potentially could, but it has not to this point. The guiding factor for us at this point is the amount of ball that we have in front of us, how early we are in this process. That’s probably been one of the significant variables in terms of our approach to his rehabilitation.”
As Wilson edges closer to a comeback, Tomlin confirmed that Fields is set to make his fifth start of the season when they face off against the Dallas Cowboys. Discussing Wilson’s progress, Tomlin said: “It seems like [Wilson] is in a place where his participation is going to pick up some in terms of a practice setting, a live pocket if you will,”.
Tomlin added that while they won’t jump to conclusions, they will monitor Wilson’s performance closely: “We won’t draw too many conclusions, but we’ll just start that process, and we’ll comb through that day by day, evaluate his ability to move and function and protect himself and obviously evaluate his level of productivity. 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.”
He also noted that his stance hasn’t changed much, but acknowledged Wilson’s increased activity: “In a lot of ways, I’m taking the same posture that I’ve taken in recent weeks, but I’m acknowledging that he’s doing more work today than he did last Tuesday.”
Against the Indianapolis Colts last week, Fields showed his dual-threat capabilities by completing 22-of-34 passes for a whopping 312 yards and one touchdown. Not just a threat in the air, he also dominated on the ground, rushing for 55 yards and scoring two touchdowns from just 10 carries.
Despite not securing a flawless 4-0 start for the Steelers, Tomlin couldn’t help but be impressed by Fields’ attitude and poise during the tight 27-24 defeat. “We were down multiple scores in the fourth quarter, man, but I didn’t feel any blink,” he remarked.
Tomlin further highlighted Fields’ unflappable nature, saying, “In particular, I didn’t feel any blink in Justin. We’ve talked about his steady demeanor in recent weeks. In terms of the things that I’ve grown to know and understand about him, I think it’s really on display in moments like that.”