Steelers' Russell Wilson Eyes Playing NFL Week 1 vs. Falcons amid Calf Injury

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson expressed hope Friday that he will be able to start Sunday's season-opening game against the Atlanta Falcons despite dealing with a calf injury.

According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Wilson said he is taking things day by day and wants to play, but was unable to give a concrete answer about whether he will. Wilson added that imaging on his calf showed "good news" after he aggravated it during or before Thursday's practice.

On the subject of possibly playing Sunday, Wilson also told Pryor: "I'm trying to get my body ready to go and rock and roll. Just doing everything we can."

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported later that Wilson was officially listed as questionable on the injury report for Pittsburgh's Week 1 matchup.

After Wilson logged a limited practice Thursday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told Pryor it was done "to exercise some precaution" after he reported calf tightness.

Wilson initially injured his calf while pushing a sled during a conditioning test prior to the start of training camp, and while he missed the first preseason game as a result, he played in Pittsburgh's final two exhibition tilts.

Per Pryor, Wilson was "very limited" again in Friday's practice, and he said he would get further treatment Friday before determining during pregame warm-ups on Sunday whether he can play.

After a training camp and preseason battle with Justin Fields, Wilson was named the Steelers' starting quarterback last week, but Fields could potentially get the first start after all.

Wilson got released by the Denver Broncos during the offseason, and since they still owed him nearly $38 million, he signed with the Steelers for only $1.2 million.

The 35-year-old Wilson is a potential future Hall of Famer thanks to his nine Pro Bowl selections and one Super Bowl win in 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, but the past two years were a struggle.

Denver traded for Wilson in hopes of him becoming the new franchise quarterback, but he went just 11-19 in 30 starts for the Broncos, while completing 63.3 percent of his passes for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

Still, he was a worthwhile risk for a Steelers team that completely revamped their quarterback room during the offseason by trading Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, releasing Mitchell Trubisky and allowing Mason Rudolph to leave via free agency.

Pittsburgh also acquired Fields in a trade with the Chicago Bears after the Bears decided to move on and select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Fields has yet to prove himself as a quality NFL starting quarterback from a passing perspective, but he rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, and he is still just 25 years old.

If Wilson cannot go on Sunday, Fields will get the nod and give the Steelers another dimension under center.