PITTSBURGH — Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson’s workload is expected to increase this week at practice, but coach Mike Tomlin said he’s preparing for Justin Fields to start Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
Any quarterback decision was taken out of Tomlin’s hands the first four weeks because of Wilson’s calf injury. Even as Wilson begins taking more team reps, it appears his health is still a significant factor.
“In a lot of ways, I’m taking the same posture that I’ve taken in recent weeks,” Tomlin said. “But I am acknowledging that he’s doing more work today than he did last Tuesday.”
On Tuesday morning, Tomlin met with Wilson to discuss his rehab and plot out a course of action. Tomlin said he anticipates Wilson will be able to begin participating in drills with a live pocket. In doing so, Tomlin acknowledged Wilson has been taking only 7-on-7 reps and has not yet competed in full 11-on-11 drills since aggravating his calf injury.
It’s reasonable Pittsburgh would want to give Wilson some type of onramp before throwing him into a live game.
“We won’t draw too many conclusions,” Tomlin said. “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.”
Asked if Fields’ steady performance through the first four weeks and his 3-1 record as the Steelers’ starter allows the team to be more cautious about how or when they bring Wilson back, Tomlin said, “It potentially could, but it has not to this point.”
“The guiding factor for us in this point is the amount of ball that we have in front of us, how early we are in this process,” Tomlin said. “That’s probably been one of the significant variables in terms of our approach to his rehabilitation.”
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Wilson initially injured his calf pushing a sled during the team’s conditioning test and was significantly limited through the first weeks of training camp. Pittsburgh named Wilson QB1 at the end of the preseason following a so-called camp completion.
However, when Wilson aggravated his calf injury the Thursday before the opener, the Steelers pivoted to Fields.
In four games, Fields has completed a career-best 70.6 percent of his passes for 830 yards and three passing touchdowns. His dynamic mobility has also been on display, as he’s carried the ball 38 times for 145 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has praised Fields for his ability to stand in the pocket and work through his progressions.
While turnovers plagued Fields with the Chicago Bears, he’s played a more calculated game in Pittsburgh. He’s thrown just one interception in four games and fumbled four times. That’s been enough to lift the Steelers to a 3-1 record.
Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, Fields played a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde game. He had a critical fumble early in the second half and on the final drive, contributed to a botched snap that derailed Pittsburgh’s chances of driving for the game-tying or game-winning score.
He was also often flushed out of the pocket and had to create out of structure on broken plays.
“I appreciate his fight,” Tomlin said after Sunday’s loss to the Colts. “But he and we were a little bit sloppy at times — too sloppy to comfortably secure victory.”
While he wasn’t perfect, Fields was a leading catalyst behind the Steelers’ comeback effort. He racked up 312 passing yards and a touchdown through to the air, to go along with 55 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. Those three touchdowns on consecutive series pulled Pittsburgh within one possession on three separate occasions.
“We were down multiple scores in the fourth quarter, man, but I didn’t feel any blink. In particular, I didn’t feel any blink in Justin,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “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.”
As the Steelers continue to manage what’s going to become an ongoing question, one thing they need to consider is the trajectory of both players’ careers.
While Wilson is a nine-time Pro Bowler with Super Bowl experience, he’s also 35 years old and coming off of two underwhelming seasons. Even if he proves himself to be the better passer, Pittsburgh has to ask how close he can get to his Pro Bowl best and how long it will stay that way.
On the flip side, Fields didn’t do enough with the Bears to prove he should be the future of the franchise. However, the change of scenery has allowed him to play some of the best football of his career. Because he’s just 25 years old, the upside is obvious.
If Fields can continue to grow into this role, the Steelers may have a long-term solution to a quarterback question that has lingered ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
Each time Fields gets the chance to start, he has the opportunity to re-shape the depth chart. Last season, Kenny Pickett was once seen as the future of the franchise. But when he was injured and Mason Rudolph thrived, Tomlin chose to ride the hot hand.
As of now, it seems Wilson is not healthy enough for that to be part of the conversation.
“There’s a potential for that,” Tomlin said. “But we’re not there, as I stand here today.”
(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images) )
