Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is dealing with a calf injury that bears watching ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that Russell Wilson has “calf tightness” and was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice. At this time, however, there aren’t any indicators that he’ll miss Sunday’s game.
But if Wilson can’t go, the Steelers would turn to second-stringer Justin Fields, acquired via trade with the Chicago Bears. At any rate, Wilson’s injury is something to monitor as the season opener approaches.
Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum in free agency following his release from the Denver Broncos. In releasing Wilson, the AFC West club took on an $85 million dead money charge.
The Steelers used three different quarterbacks last season, and none are returning this year. Kenny Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in a stunning move, Mitch Trubisky was released and Mason Rudolph signed with the Tennessee Titans to back up Will Levis.
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In 15 games for the Broncos last season, Russell Wilson completed 66.4 percent of his pass attempts for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The former Seattle Seahawks star was benched for Denver’s final two games after refusing to adjust the injury guarantees on his contract.
Russell Wilson Gets A Chance To Revive His Career
Wilson and the Broncos were obviously never a match. Nathaniel Hackett wasn’t qualified as a head coach, and Sean Payton never seemed sold on Wilson as his long-term quarterback.
But the 35-year-old now gets the chance to revive his career on an annual playoff contender, led by a future Hall of Famer at head coach in Tomlin, a top-10 defense and a quality set of weapons. We’ll see if Wilson can enjoy a Kurt Warner-like late-career renaissance with his new team in the coming months.
