Russell Wilson missed the first six weeks of the season after aggravating a preseason calf injury that he sustained during the team’s conditioning test. Wilson said after the injury happened that he hurt it pushing a sled, and he further clarified during an appearance today on The Pat McAfee Show.
“We were just pushing this heavy sled as fast as we could, just doing this workout testing thing we were doing. It was unfortunate,” Wilson said.
He also called the period “ironically good” for him because he was able to build team chemistry and then rehab and work out with his teammates in the training room.
Wilson returned after missing a few weeks with the calf injury, but he tweaked it again ahead of Week 1, and that led QB Justin Fields to start the first six games of the season. Those six games that Wilson missed and the Steelers getting to see Fields could be a determining factor in whether or not Wilson returns to Pittsburgh, so the injury could wind up being a bigger deal for him than it seemed when it happened.
While Wilson’s play faltered down the stretch, teammates consistently praised him for his leadership. Being able to establish relationships with players early in training camp while he rehabbed and didn’t have to worry as much about the on-field product was likely beneficial in that regard.
Having a quarterback push a sled for conditioning drills is a questionable decision to begin with. Given Wilson’s injury, it wouldn’t be a surprise if it was something that was eliminated from the conditioning program next season. Pittsburgh overhauled its strength and conditioning staff last offseason, bringing in Phil Matusz as its head strength and conditioning coach. While the new coaches likely wanted to put their spin on things, Wilson getting hurt on the first day of camp could lead to conditioning test changes going forward.
While the Steelers not having their starting quarterback to begin the season could’ve been an issue, Fields played well in place of Wilson, leading the Steelers to a 4-2 record. Wilson then went 6-1 before fading down the stretch, leaving the Steelers’ immediate future at quarterback up in the air. The glimpse the Steelers got of Fields could be enough for them to view him as a long-term answer, which would spell the end of Wilson’s time in Pittsburgh.
It would be a cruel twist of fate if an injury on the first day of training camp indirectly led to Russell Wilson’s exit from the Steelers, but the NFL is a business. And the Steelers have to do what they think is best for them long-term.
