Justin Fields took over as the Steelers’ first-team quarterback during training camp Thursday, but his perch atop the depth chart may not last long.
The former Bears signal-caller took the place of Russell Wilson, who woke up with calf tightness and was kept off the field by head coach Mike Tomlin, per ESPN, during the workouts in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
“It was my decision to sit [Wilson] down today, create a little short-term discomfort for him, not allowing a small problem to become a bigger problem,” Tomlin said. “He wanted to [practice], and he was probably capable, but I’m getting to know him and I just chose to create a little misery for him and the offensive unit.”
Wilson, considered day-to-day with the injury, is still presumed to be Pittsburgh’s QB1, something Tomlin reiterated during a news conference Wednesday before Wilson’s calf tightness cropped up.
Tomlin said “nothing has changed” in terms of the hierarchy of the Steelers’ quarterback room and that Wilson was still in “pole position” for the starting job.
In early March, the Steelers signed Wilson to a one-year deal and traded Kenny Pickett to the Eagles, signaling a new era at the position.
