The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some rotten injury luck this season, especially at quarterback. Starter Russell Wilson missed the first six games of the year with a calf injury, only getting back to action recently. Now, backup Justin Fields is nursing a hamstring injury. It could be seen as good luck that there wasn’t any overlap with these injuries, but it’s still unfortunate. However, Mike Tomlin made it seem like Fields’ injury is nothing to be concerned about.
“[Fields] experienced a minor hamstring injury during our last day of practice going into the Giants game,” Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference via the team’s YouTube channel. “We didn’t want a small problem to become a big problem.
“We designated him the third quarterback. Given the bye week, and the week that’s ahead of us, we’re not imagining that to be a problem. But again, we’ll let participation be our guide in terms of how we divide the labor up.”
That sounds extremely similar to Tomlin’s rationale behind being cautious with Wilson’s injury. It’s not serious, but it could become so if the Steelers rush the process. That makes sense because calf and hamstring injuries are both soft-tissue injuries that can linger. They may start out minor but can easily become severe.
There was also no need to rush Fields back in Week 8 with his injury popping up late. Wilson looked fine in his lone start against the New York Jets, and the Giants aren’t a powerhouse. Really, it may have been a blessing in disguise, allowing the Steelers to get a more extended look at Wilson.
It sounds like Fields could be back as soon as this week too. That would be great, even if he isn’t starting. His availability against the Washington Commanders would provide the Steelers with another weapon on offense. There’s been talk about a Fields package on offense for weeks, but the Steelers haven’t been able to employ it yet. This week that could change as Tomlin reaffirmed that a Fields package is always on the table.
“I would always anticipate seeing that as long as both guys are on our roster,” he said.
That’s the right answer. Even if Fields isn’t used on offense, it forces the opposing team to game plan for the possibility of seeing him. There’s only so much time in the week and having to devote any of it to Fields gives the Steelers an advantage.
A Fields package could be useful in the red zone as well, an area where the Steelers’ offense has struggled. His mobility was arguably his greatest skill when he was starting. He has five rushing touchdowns on the year for a reason. Having Fields back will be great, and it’s awesome to hear that his injury isn’t serious. Still, there’s no need to rush him.
