When you hit 30, simple things like sneezing or reaching for the remote can throw our backs out. And while athletes are far more conditioned than most anyone reading this, injuries still take time to heal.
Like groin injuries (ask Cam Heyward), calf injuries tend to linger. Russell Wilson and his 35-year-old calf having to ramp up for a long 17-game season (in which he’s expected to be mobile) isn’t a good mix.
There’s no question the Steelers trainers will accordingly prepare Wilson, who, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, has been participating in a limited capacity.
And, of course, Mike Tomlin will use an abundance of caution (and repeat the phrase abundantly) while monitoring his quarterback. But should the injury linger or further limit Wilson as summer bleeds into the regular season, the Steelers could be in trouble.
Should Wilson’s calf become a real problem, Justin Fields needing to start the 2024 regular season would be less than ideal. Then again, what better way for the Steelers to truly see what they have in Fields than during live game action?
Wilson is a veteran, it’s true. This isn’t his first rodeo, nor his first team or offense change. But that still doesn’t diminish the fact that he still needs meaningful reps and practice under Arthur Smith and company in the six weeks leading up to the start of the regular season. Hopefully, that process begins in earnest this week as Wilson is expected to start practicing in a fuller capacity.
As most teams do, the Steelers start the reason with plenty of rust to shake off. Russell Wilson must be the least rusty to make the transition more seamless.
