Russell Wilson's Week 2 return to Broncos Country may not be as exciting as initially believed.
As Wilson continues his recovery from a calf injury, things are trending toward Justin Fields getting another start for the Steelers in Denver on Sunday. When speaking with the media Tuesday, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said the team is preparing for Fields to be the starter.
Wilson joined the Steelers after two underwhelming seasons with the Broncos came to a rather unceremonious end. The nature of Wilson's exit caused many to circle his return to the Mile High City on the NFL schedule. Now, it appears that return will not come to be.
What does this mean for Wilson, Fields and the Steelers moving forward? Here are the latest updates in the wake of the recent development.
MORE: Worst overreactions from NFL Week 1, from rookie QBs' struggles to Cowboys' dominance
Russell Wilson injury update
Wilson was inactive in Week 1 with a calf injury that first came up during training camp.
The 35-year-old was limited to begin camp and then saw limited snaps throughout the preseason, a concerning trend for a QB learning a new offense. Leading into the season, Wilson reportedly told teammates he'd be able to play in Week 1 but Pittsburgh's training staff made the call to hold him out of the opener.
After missing Week 1, the lingering issue appears to be more serious than initially believed. Tomlin's statement that the team is preparing for Fields to Start Week 2 essentially builds on messaging that impacted Wilson's Week 1 status.
With Wilson dressed as Pittsburgh's emergency QB, Fields was named QB1 for Week 1, leading the Steelers to a road victory over the Falcons. As Pittsburgh dug deep to earn an 18-10 victory, Fields went 17-of-23 for 156 yards in the air and added another 57 yards on the ground with 14 carries.
Despite Fields' turnover-free play, all 18 of Pittsburgh's points were from kicker Chris Boswell, who was 6-of-6 in the game.
Pittsburgh Steelers schedule 2024
After traveling to face the Broncos, the Steelers return to Pittsburgh for their home opener in Week 3, the first game of a three-game homestand at Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh's midseason bye is in Week 9.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1 | Sept. 8 | Steelers 18, Falcons 10 | — | — |
| 2 | Sept. 15 | at Broncos | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 3 | Sept. 22 | vs. Chargers | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 4 | Sept. 29 | vs. Colts | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 5 | Oct. 6 | vs. Cowboys | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 6 | Oct. 13 | at Raiders | 4:05 p.m. | CBS |
| 7 | Oct. 20 | vs. Jets | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 8 | Oct. 28 (Mon.) | vs. Giants | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| 9 | Nov. 3 | Bye | ----- | ----- |
| 10 | Nov. 10 | at Commanders | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 11 | Nov. 17 | vs. Ravens | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 12 | Nov. 21 (Thu.) | at Browns | 8:15 p.m. | Prime Video |
| 13 | Dec. 1 | vs. Bengals | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 14 | Dec. 8 | vs. Browns | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 15 | Dec. 15 | at Eagles | 4:25 p.m. | Fox |
| 16 | Dec. 22 | vs. Ravens | 4:30 p.m. | Fox |
| 17 | Dec. 25 (Wed.) | vs. Chiefs | 1 p.m. | Netflix |
| 18 | Jan. 5 | vs. Bengals | TBD | TBD |
This story will be updated.
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