After missing the first four practices of training camp due to a calf injury, veteran quarterback Russell Wilson returned to practice in a limited fashion Tuesday morning on the first day of pads.
Though he took just two snaps in team 11-on-11 drills, Wilson was a full participant in 7-on-7, which he stated to reporters after practice was part of the plan.
While he is confident when it’s go-time, he will be ready, he is adhering to the plan laid out before him, which head coach Mike Tomlin said is intentional.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday following practice, Tomlin stated he’s slowing down the progress of Russell Wilson in his return.
“I’m slowing down the progress, and I think I’ve been pretty clear with you guys about that,” Tomlin said to reporters Tuesday, according to video via Steelers.com.
Since suffering the calf injury during the conditioning run last Wednesday while pushing a sled, Wilson has been dressed but wearing a ball cap. He has stood back and gotten as many mental reps as possible while shelved. That has allowed backup quarterback Justin Fields to take advantage of the reps with the starting offense, generating some buzz.
It’s led to some debate regarding the Steelers’ QB1 outlook ahead of the 2024 season, as there is some concern regarding Wilson’s health.
But Tomlin made it clear again on Tuesday that he’s taking it slow with Russell Wilson because the Steelers have the time to do so right now, early in training camp.
With the rain rolling through Latrobe Tuesday ahead of practice and Wilson limited on the first day of pads, the question was whether the wet conditions played a part in potentially limiting Wilson even further out of an abundance of caution.
Tomlin shut that down quickly, too.
“No,” Tomlin said when asked if the weather limited Wilson.
So there you have it. Russell Wilson seems good to go, but Tomlin is pulling back the reins just a bit on the veteran quarterback, making sure that he’s fully healed before turning him loose onto the practice field in Latrobe. In the meantime, it seems likely that Wilson could again be limited on Wednesday as the Steelers progress further into training camp.
