Tag: Steelers 2024 training camp

Mark Madden says what all Steelers fans are thinking about Russell Wilson injury

It’s not often Steelers fans agree with Mark Madden, but with the Russell Wilson injury situation, this is one of those times. 

It’s not often Pittsburgh Steelers fans agree with Mark Madden, but with the Russell Wilson injury situation, this is easily one of those times.

As Wilson missed his fourth consecutive practice on Sunday, let’s revisit how he got here.

Following a Wilson-less first practice on Thursday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin explained that his quarterback woke up with calf tightness and he was withholding him from practice as a precaution. The following day, however, Wilson revealed he’d hurt it early on day one during a conditioning drill — specifically on the sled push.

TribLive’s Mark Madden had this to spout about the source of Wilson’s calf injury:

What’s gained by making a 35-year-old QB push a blocking sled? How much blocking will Wilson have to do?

That thought popped up in the heads of every Steelers fan after hearing why Wilson was being held out of practice.

Why in the world was Russell Wilson pushing a sled?!

If the Steelers are going to be any good this season, Wilson will have to stand in the pocket and deliver dimes (to everyone besides George Pickens because he’ll be triple-covered) or scramble as quickly as a 35-year-old quarterback can. He won’t be blocking, and, on the unfortunate occasion he needs to, pushing a sled in practice won’t be the reason he fails or succeeds.

According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wilson is expected to start practicing this week. The Steelers return to Chuck Noll Field on Tuesday.

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Steelers QB Justin Fields ends ‘up and down’ training camp practice on high note

After an inconsistent day of training camp, Steelers QB Justin Fields ended things on a high note.

Justin Fields is getting first-team reps by default, with Russell Wilson sidelined for an undetermined amount of time due to calf tightness.

According to CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo, the fourth-year veteran had an up-and-down second day of practice. He finished on a high note after he “rifled a bullet” to Calvin Austin III to close out the day.

Austin, entering his third season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, could have an opportunity for a prominent role in Arthur Smith’s new offense. He and Pickens are the most tenured Steelers wide receivers after Pittsburgh traded Diontae Johnson in the offseason.

Austin, 25, spent his rookie season on injured reserve and never really shined in his second. With a capable quarterback now at the helm, it’ll be exciting to see how Austin grows.

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No timetable for return of Steelers QB Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson’s first training camp with the Steelers has not started off on a high note. 

Russell Wilson’s first training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers has not started off on a high note.

When speaking with reporters at the close of practice, Wilson could offer no timetable for his return. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko reported that Wilson wanted to be back today, but Mike Tomlin is being patient with the injury.

There are 14 more practices left with two weeks before the first preseason game on August 9.

It was Tomlin’s decision to sit Wilson out after the quarterback awoke with calf tightness on Thursday.

The injury certainly doesn’t bode well for Wilson as he attempts to learn a new offensive system for the umpteenth time in his 13-year career. It does benefit Justin Fields, though, who would’ve been on the short end of reps distribution.

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Troy Polamalu in disguise at Steelers training camp

It’s not easy for Steelers legend Troy Polamalu to be anywhere in Pittsburgh and go unnoticed.

It’s not easy for Troy Polamalu to be anywhere in Pittsburgh and go unnoticed — unless he hides the hair.

NFL reporter Bo Marchionte posted a photo of Polamalu on the sideline at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp on Friday.

The day started with unusually cooler 70-degree temperatures, so the California native got away with a Steelers hoodie, his famous locks all tucked up in a bucket hat and shades to complete the disguise.

The legendary Steelers safety was recently named to ESPN’s top 25 players of the 21st century. Polamalu was the lone Steeler on the list, landing at No. 16. Not surprisingly, Tom Brady came in at No. 1.

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Steelers QB Justin Fields named ‘player to root for’ by NFL Network

Will Justin Fields get a fair shot at the starting quarterback job in Pittsburgh?

For some reason, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to trade for former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields after signing quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson is a borderline Hall of Famer and did not come to the Steelers to be the backup to anyone.

This means we really don’t know if there will be a legitimate quarterback battle in training camp or not, but according to NFL writer Tom Blair is still rooting for Fields this year.

I almost made it through this entire file without naming a quarterback, but this one’s kind of unavoidable. Fields is at a career crossroads basically because he is not a clear-cut generational talent, and Chicago had an opportunity to draft someone who could be. The Bears are moving on with Caleb Williams, and more power to them. There still appears to be, uh, “meat left on that bone” in terms of what the dynamic Fields can offer, though, and I wouldn’t mind seeing another QB castoff follow the Baker Mayfield trajectory (formerly known as the Ryan Tannehill trajectory?) by re-establishing himself as a viable starter. (Don’t take this as anti-Russell Wilson sentiment, though. I root against no one.)

It’s hard to imagine the Steelers didn’t have conversations with Fields about some sort of role this season or else why would he have asked to be traded to Pittsburgh? We don’t know what that role is, but we’ve already talked about how making Fields a gadget quarterback isn’t in his best long-term interest.

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