Steelers' Russell Wilson Left The Door Open For Justin Fields; He Plans To Take Advantage

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter training camp ahead of the 2024 season with a lot of focus and attention on the quarterback room. No one in there was in Latrobe in 2023, including the coach, Tom Arth. There will be some sort of competition between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at St. Vincent College. Wilson is the presumptive starter, but Fields doesn't plan to sit back. He will do everything in his power to force the coaching staff to make a difficult decision, and he has a bit of a head start.

Fields was given a great opportunity to kick off training camp on Thursday, as Wilson was unable to practice after he woke up with tightness in his calf. Due to it being so early in camp, there's no point in risking it, so Fields got all of the reps with the first team during practice. This was a good opportunity because f Wilson was practicing, Fields probably wouldn't have seen more than a handful of snaps with the first team. After practice, Fields spoke with the media and explained is mindset.

Fields is behind the eight ball when it comes to competing with Wilson, who is a proven vet entering his 13th season. Wilson was expected to be the starter when he was signed near the start of free agency, and Fields provides Pittsburgh with a good backup plan. The fourth-year quarterback had a chance to close the gap between himself and Wilson on Thursday, and he seemed to do so.

Fields was able to play behind the starting offensive line and starting weapons on offense, which certainly elevated what he could do. His favorite target of the day seemed to be Pat Freiermuth. No pads were worn Thursday, and there were some plays Fields would have been sacked, but he did a decent job using his legs to extend plays and complete passes. He even completed a nice deep ball to Van Jefferson for a score.

On just the first day of camp, the offense was more exciting than it was at any point in 2023. Wilson is considered day-to-day with his calf injury, so there is a chance he could be on the field for Pittsburgh's next practice. He hasn't missed many games throughout his career to injury, so it shouldn't be something for fans to worry about long term.

Steelers' Fields Found Out About Wilson's Injury Early On

The calf issues began for Wilson when he woke up, and he was ruled out of practice fairly early. Arth let Fields know about the situation right around six in the morning, giving him plenty of time mentally to prepare to take advantage of his day as the Steelers first string quarterback. Fields explained this situation to the media after practice.

Fields certainly put some pressure on Wilson to get back on the field with his performance Thursday. It wasn't perfect, and definitely didn't reset the depth chart, but he showed he came to compete. This quarterback competition could be closer than expected as training camp goes on over the next several weeks.

What do you think about Fields mindset and performance Thursday? Let us know in the comments below!

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