After a five-day wait, Russell Wilson has made his highly anticipated debut at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Wilson, sidelined for the team's first four practices with a tight calf, looked good during his minimal reps on Tuesday. Wilson's backup, Justin Fields, also had a strong showing in what was the Steelers' first padded practice.
It's hard to beat what Wilson did Tuesday. The nine-time Pro Bowler completed each of his four passes during 7-on-7 reps.
"I feel good," Wilson said of his calf, via The Athletic. "It's just good to be back out here. ... It was a good day today."
Wilson didn't get into specifics when he was asked what hurdles he needs to clear before he is cleared to be a full practice participant.
"Just take it one day at a time," he said. "I'll be ready to go when it's time."
As he did the previous four practices, Fields took the majority of Pittsburgh's first-team reps on Tuesday. By several accounts, Tuesday's practice was Fields' best so far. His strong outing included leading the offense to a 4-3 win in Seven Shots (a best-of-seven, deep red zone drill pitting the offense against the defense) that included a scoring run and a nifty touchdown pass to George Pickens that quickly went viral.
Pads come on.
— Baku 🐧 (@Mazursky8895) July 30, 2024
Fields makes a perfect pass.
Highlight reel GP catch. pic.twitter.com/DfZ5U0yv9u
Following Tuesday's practice, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the state of his quarterback position. While he reiterated that Wilson continues to have the "pole position" over Fields, Tomlin did say that the two quarterbacks are indeed in a competition.
"We've got two really capable guys," Tomlin told CBS Sports HQ. "We're going to create an environment where they get an opportunity to compete and see where they're capable of. ... Justin has really taken advantage of the opportunity for additional snaps because Russ has been out some the first week. Really just excited about the trajectory of it. Excited to continue to go with the process and having them display their skills."
