The Steelers held their first practice of training camp on Thursday and one significant member of the team did not participate.
Quarterback Russell Wilson was on the sideline in a hat rather than a helmet as his teammates went through their first session of the summer. Reports from the workout said Justin Fields got the first-team reps during team drills with Wilson in an observer role for all phases of the workout.
Wilson’s day off comes a day after Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said “nothing has changed” from when he said in March that the former Seahawk and Bronco has the “pole position” over Fields to be the team’s starting quarterback. Tomlin also said the reps for the two quarterbacks would be doled out “very carefully,” although that wasn’t an issue on Thursday.
There’s been no word from the Steelers yet about why Wilson didn’t take part in Thursday’s practice, so we’ll have to wait to find out when he might be back in action.