The Steelers list Russell Wilson as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Broncos, but coach Mike Tomlin announced that the team is preparing for Justin Fields to start.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the Steelers also plan to have Fields start the home opener Sept. 22 against the Chargers before reassessing Wilson’s injured calf.
Wilson originally injured his calf pushing a sled during the team’s conditioning test the day before training camp. He thought the injury was fully healed after he missed 10 practices while rehabbing during training camp.
Wilson played six series in the preseason and was on track to start the season opener until Sept. 5 when he felt tightness in the calf during practice. The Steelers will be cautious in his return considering it’s a recurrence of a soft-tissue injury for a player who turns 36 in November.
Tomlin would not answer whether Wilson will be the starter when healthy.
Fields still is listed as the backup to Wilson on the team’s depth chart.
“I’m not going to soothe you with hypothetical scenarios,” Tomlin said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “It is my general practice to not. . . . So why start today? Because it’s the quarterback position or because it’s a national story? I am unmoved by some of those narratives, to be quite honest with you.
“When people are somewhat limited, I say we’ll push through our work week. We’ll let their participation be our guide in terms of whether we include ‘em and then the quality of that participation. This scenario is no different for me. . . . Our energies and attention are on those that are available and are scheduled to play. They’re deserving of that. When those that are not are healthy, we’ll ponder it at that time.”