The pitches will start again for the Steelers against the Cowboys | News, sports, work

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) celebrates after rushing for a touchdown, his second of the game, during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

PITTSBURGH — Russell Wilson’s resistant right calf is improving. It simply may not heal in time to get Justin Fields out of the job as Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, at least in the short term.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he expects Wilson to see an increase in his workload in practice this week, although Fields is expected to get that approval for a fifth straight week when Pittsburgh (3-1) hosts Dallas (2-2 ) on Sunday evening.

Wilson, 35, has not played since suffering a calf injury shortly before the season opener in Atlanta. The Steelers slowly brought the nine-time Pro Bowler back to the field. He felt well enough to throw during 7-on-7 drills with the scout team, but it’s still unclear when Wilson will be cleared to participate as a full participant.

“We will assess his ability to move, function and protect himself, and of course we will assess his level of productivity,” Tomlin said. “And let that be a cue for us to take this seriously as we approach this week’s game.”

For weeks, Tomlin dodged questions about whether Fields had done enough to immediately earn a spot in the starting lineup. On Tuesday, he did it again, although a little less emphatically than before.

Asked if there was a chance he could stick with Fields as the hot hand, much like he did with Mason Rudolph late last season while Kenny Pickett was recovering from ankle surgery, Tomlin opened the door a bit.

“There is potential for this,” he said. “But we are not there as I am standing here today.”

However, that moment is fast approaching, especially if Fields continues to improve as the weeks go by. Fields wasn’t error-free in Sunday’s 27-24 loss to Indianapolis, but he impressed Tomlin with the way he responded after being fouled early in the second half. Fields led Pittsburgh with three straight touchdowns to within striking distance on a day where he finished with 367 yards of total offense (312 passing, 55 rushing) and three total touchdowns (one passing, two on the ground).

“I just think when you’re in those moments, you have the opportunity to show who you are in those moments, so there’s less speculation,” Tomlin said. “So some of the things that I speculated about last week about his stability, his competitiveness, etc., have just solidified and validated themselves with the challenges we’ve faced.”

Fields is completing 67% of his passes through four games, throwing three touchdowns and one interception. His quarterback rating of 98.0 ranks 10th among players starting any game, and his total score against the Colts was the highest on the team. He’s also becoming more aggressive as he becomes more confident in running first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme.

Tomlin pointed to the remaining length of the season as one of the reasons the Steelers didn’t try to rush Wilson back, especially since he’s been dealing with a calf issue that’s plagued him since the first day of training camp. Wilson isn’t the scrambler he was a decade ago, and Pittsburgh’s offensive line has been dealing with a string of injuries, the latest being right guard James Daniels’ Achilles tendon rupture on Sunday that ended Daniels’ season.

The Steelers are optimistic that veteran Isaac Seumalo – sidelined since late August with a pectoral injury – will be able to return against Dallas. The rest of the lineup will feature first- or second-year players at three of the remaining four positions. For Wilson, it’s not enough to just be able to plant and throw. He will need to show the coaching staff that he can avoid danger while still being able to run the entire offense without restrictions to “seriously account” for his play, Tomlin said.

It may take some time for Wilson to get to this point. If Fields avoids a major setback by the time Wilson recovers, it may be too late to stay at the top of the depth chart.

Asked if Fields could do anything specific to convince Tomlin that he was a better option than a healthy Wilson, Tomlin just smiled.

“Just play well,” he said. “To win. That’s our business.”

COMMENTS:

LB Alex Highsmith (groin) will miss a second straight game. … RB Jaylen Warren (knee) and Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) may be limited early in the week. … LB Nick Herbig and DT Keanu Benton could also be limited early in the week.