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LATROBE, Pa. — Russell Wilson stepped up to the line of scrimmage Wednesday for one of his right-now rare snaps with the Steelers’ first-team offense.
Wilson handed off to running back Jaylen Warren, then slipped away from the play.
Fellow quarterback Justin Fields reentered the huddle before the next play, reclaiming what so far in camp has been his role: taking the bulk of first-team snaps.
Fields clutched the snap, scrambled to his right and found receiver George Pickens downfield.
The rotation has proceeded similarly through the first week of Steelers training camp.
This isn’t a true quarterback battle. Pittsburgh’s brass has stated repeatedly and consistently that Wilson, entering his 13th year as an NFL starter, is in “pole position” to open the season as starting quarterback.
Good morning from training camp stop 5, the Pittsburgh Steelers! Russell Wilson is participating in individual drills after a calf tweak limited him last week pic.twitter.com/b5eNBBUf64
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) July 30, 2024
Fields’ first-team opportunities instead arose after Wilson tweaked his calf on sled work during a start-of-camp conditioning test. Head coach Mike Tomlin has since instituted a gradual return to work to protect Wilson, clearing the way for Fields to receive more first-team snaps than had been expected.
As Wilson’s work emphasizes individual drills and the occasional team-drill handoff, the Steelers continue to learn more about the quarterback they acquired from the Chicago Bears.
“Russ is way more of a known commodity because of the years he’s had in the league, and he’s had a lot of change in the last four years and his journey,” offensive coordinator Arthur Smith told Yahoo Sports. “Justin is at such a different part of his career, but they both had big moments in this league. … You’ve got a competition going on, you get two guys fighting it out, but you’re also building the big picture.
“So that’s why you got to evaluate.”
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Source link : https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/steelers-still-learning-about-russell-wilson-and-justin-fields–and-how-theyll-make-a-looming-important-decision-230923834.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-31 23:09:23
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