Russell Wilson Won't Play in Steelers vs. Texans amid Injury; Justin Fields to Start
The Pittsburgh Steelers will open their preseason on Friday against the Houston Texans, but fans will have to wait a bit longer to see quarterback Russell Wilson in action with his new team.
Per ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Wilson will not play against the Texans, as head coach Mike Tomlin said he's one of the players who's been dealing with "minor training camp injuries." Tomlin added that Justin Fields will get the start with the first unit offense and play "a couple series."
Wilson has been nursing a calf injury that has limited his participation in practice so far during training camp, opening the door for Fields to see some action with the first-team offense. Tomlin named star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and linebacker Patrick Queen as the other players dealing with minor injuries who won't play on Friday against the Texans.
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Despite Wilson's injury, it hasn't changed his status as the leading candidate for Pittsburgh's starting quarterback role, as he was listed ahead of Fields on the team's first depth chart which was unveiled on Tuesday. When asked if Wilson is still in the "pole position" in the team's quarterback competition, Tomlin responded, "You guys saw the depth chart I released yesterday. That is real."
Still, Tomlin had good things to say about what he's seen from Fields during his time with the starters, telling Evan Washburn of CBS Sports HQ last week that the 25-year-old has "really taken advantage of the opportunity for additional snaps because Russ has been out some the first week." He indicated that the competition for the starting job is far from over.
"We've got two really capable guys," Tomlin said. "We're going to create an environment where they get an opportunity to compete and see where they're capable of."
Fields, who is in the final year of his contract, will certainly be looking to put on a show on Friday while Wilson is sidelined. A strong performance could push Tomlin to put him in the pole position ahead of Wilson.
