Steelers' Mike Tomlin Reveals Russell Wilson Will Take His First In-Game Snaps With Pittsburgh; Declares Starter Vs. Buffalo

The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for their second preseason game ahead of the 2024 season. The game will be hosted on Saturday, August 17th at Acrisure Stadium and it will be the second preseason in a row that the Steelers will be taking on the Buffalo Bills. The two organizations held a joint practice on Thursday, where the Steelers seemed to be able to hang with the Bills. 

Pittsburgh's new quarterback, Russell Wilson, has yet to make his preseason debut, but it is anticipated he will against Buffalo. Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke with the media following practice on Thursday, where he shared that no healthy players will be held out of the game and Wilson will be playing with the starting unit. 

"We got a really inclusive mentality about participation in this game. We're not setting anyone aside to minimize their reps or to look at others. All of those that are healthy will participate in the game, that's our mentality."

This is a change from the Steelers' first preseason game against the Houston Texans, where the Steelers chose to rest a handful of starters, including the likes of TJ Watt. Wilson was also held out of the game, but he was also still recovering from a nagging calf injury. Tomlin reiterated that the quarterback will be good to go against the Bills.

"Russ is scheduled to participate if he has no setbacks man. This has been a good week, he's been a full participant, he has had a couple of really good days. With each passing day, it is less of an issue, we look forward to him participating. Our mindset regarding the first team, or the first wave of terror if you will, last week they played about two series, roughly, offensively and defensively. We have a mindset of playing roughly four this time around." 

The first unit on offense and defense will see an extended period of playing time, which is likely the case for the Bills as well. Tomlin went on to speak about if the units start to produce early on, the coaching staff may decide to move on from them early in order to get a look at some of the other guys on the roster.

A major talking point throughout the offseason has been whether Wilson or Justin Fields will be the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh. Wilson has been in the lead since he was signed, and that hasn't seemed to change much. He is still listed as the starter on the team's official depth chart, and Tomlin was blunt in confirming Wilson will be starting against Buffalo.

"He'll start."

Wilson and Fields have each been taking snaps with the first unit during practices, so it is very likely they each play some with the starters. If they are out there for the four series as Tomlin anticipates, fans should probably expect to see Fields on at least one of those possessions. The competition is still alive, but Fields needs to start putting together some nice plays in the preseason games.

Steelers' Preseason Matchup With The Bills Will Likely Weigh A Ton In Quarterback Battle

Both Fields and Wilson performed well over the last week in training camp, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them each get two drives with the starters. Their play will be directly compared by fans, and the coaching staff will certainly take the results they get from each quarterback into account. They will be taking on one of the top contenders in their conference, which provides a good measuring stick for who gives Pittsburgh the best chance to win during the regular season.

It's unlikely Fields will be able to overtake Wilson as the starting quarterback, but the door has been left open for the young signal-caller.

How do you think Wilson will perform in his debut in Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments below!

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