Though Russell Wilson’s calf injury may not keep him out of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, it could hinder his ability to beat them. Reacting to the news that Wilson aggravated the same calf issue he dealt with in training camp, former NFL QB Chase Daniel believes it’s a serious problem no matter how “minor” the injury appears.
“Calf injury for Russell Wilson. Not good at all,” Daniel said in the video below. “For the Pittsburgh Steelers, I’m worried about the Pittsburgh Steelers, specifically Russell Wilson. He will not be able to move around. That is Russell Wilson’s game. Moving around the pocket. When you have a calf injury as a quarterback, it completely messes up your mechanics and your throwing motion.”
Wilson has always relied on his athleticism and mobility. Now 35, he’s lost some of that and is clearly less mobile than backup Justin Fields, one of football’s most dynamic runners. Throw a calf injury on top of Wilson’s age and he could be hampered trying to move outside the pocket. How Pittsburgh calls its plays could also be dictated by his injury. Any limitation to mobility could curtail the amount of play-action or bootlegs/rollouts Arthur Smith uses.
If Wilson can’t play, Fields will get the start. But even if Wilson is able to take the field, Daniel wonders if the Steelers will look like an AFC North team from 2023.
“Look at Joe Burrow last year,” he said. “He was a complete shell of himself. Joe Burrow is a pocket passer. Russell Wilson needs to be on the move to be at his best.”
Burrow suffered a more severe calf injury during training camp but was cleared for Week 1. His lack of mobility was on full display during the first few weeks as he and the offense struggled, the main reason the Bengals got off to a 1-4 start. It wasn’t until midseason that Burrow got healthy and turned the season around and he’s much younger than Wilson.
Daniel even floated the possibility of Wilson making his injury worse.
“Even go back to last summer with Aaron Rogers. He had a calf injury in OTAs…Four plays into the season. He tears his Achilles. Not a good look. I’m worried about the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Daniel said.
After being listed as “limited” on Thursday’s injury report, how Wilson is classified Friday will be telling. Remember, gone are the days of the “probable” tag meaning Wilson can either be listed as questionable, doubtful, out, or without a game status indicating he’s healthy and will play.
If Wilson’s calf tightness is similar to what he felt in training camp, the injury would truly be minor. But being able to walk around unencumbered and being able to play football are two different things. Pittsburgh had the benefit of camp to slow-roll Wilson into action. With the season opener three days away, the Steelers no longer have such a luxury.
