Former Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson is dealing with a calf issue to open the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Thursday.
Tomlin indicated that Wilson woke up with the ailment but did not specify the severity or root cause of the injury. With Wilson sidelined, former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields took reps with Pittsburgh’s first-team offense.
Wilson has avoided major injury throughout his 12-year NFL career. The former Badger boasts nine consecutive 16-game appearances with Seattle from 2012-20 and has notched at least 14 starts in each of the past three seasons.
The calf issue is notable, however, given the current quarterback competition between Wilson and Fields. While many project the longtime Seahawk to win the starting job, Fields’ has the playmaking ability to take advantage of the opportunity that appears to be arising.
#Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that QB Russell Wilson is dealing with a calf issue that he woke up with and he’s considered day-to-day. Justin Fields took the first-team reps.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2024
Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh following two relatively unceremonious years with the Denver Broncos. Despite posting a respectable 98.0 passer rating in 2022-23, the Broncos opted to move on from Wilson while still paying much of his contract. The team went on to draft former Oregon QB Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft after Wilson landed in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh started its training camp on Wednesday, July 24. They typically last two weeks and conclude before the start of the preseason in August, so Wilson will have plenty of time to return to full strength.