The second day of training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers has come and gone. Much like the first day, Russell Wilson didn’t practice due to an injury, giving Justin Fields the starting reps. While Fields has shown flashes of his incredible ability, Wilson will more than likely be the team’s starter again once he’s healthy. However, it seems that he’s not just sitting on his hands while he’s hurt.
In a video on Twitter from Aaron Becker of Yardbarker, Wilson was asked about the adversity of not practicing the past two days and how he’s helped Fields during this time. In response, Wilson brought up that there are still so many things a player can do even if they can’t physically practice.
“I think communication, I think leadership is everything. I told all the guys, not just [Fields], but also the other quarterbacks involved, and then also the receivers, the o-line, just keeping the energy high. I’m a big believer in high energy, positivity, uplifting, communication, the extra work afterward, before as well. Finding those moments, those little moments that can maybe become a big moment in a big game, and those things add up.
“The role doesn’t change in terms of leading and thinking and processing and processing every play and the protections and all that. All that matters. That’s the best way to learn sometimes, too. You do it physically, and then when you’re not in, you take those reps in.”
It seems that Wilson is still keeping his hands on the wheel of the offense, even if he isn’t currently driving. His leadership throughout this offseason has been well-documented, constantly practicing with players on his own time. That kind of veteran presence is important, especially at quarterback. Omar Khan has even said that the Steelers have appreciated that leadership from Wilson, showing how important it is to the Steelers.
Fields talked about Wilson being a mentor to him earlier this offseason, and it seems that isn’t changing during camp. Wilson is only signed for this season, but it looks like he’s totally invested with the Steelers. Rumors have floated around over the past few years about Wilson being a diva, which seems like the opposite of what the Steelers have gotten out of him so far. Even while he’s injured, he still remains engaged with the team, keeping his energy high.
Maybe the most important thing Wilson has brought to the Steelers is that he acts like a franchise quarterback. Last year, it seemed like the Steelers’ quarterback position was rocky, which makes sense, given that three different players started there. That lack of consistency or confidence probably hurt the Steelers just as much as anything else. Even if Wilson doesn’t play like a stud, that attitude will help the Steelers more than anything as they get deeper into the season.
