Russell Wilson's sore calf is getting better, but it still might not be ready in time for him to play in his return to Denver Sunday.
With that in mind, backup Justin Fields is preparing to make his second consecutive start when the Steelers travel to Denver to play the Broncos.
Coming off a game in which he threw for 156 yards and rushed for another 57, Fields said the main goal is not only for him to play well for himself, but for the team, as well.
"It's very important," Fields said of playing well. "It's more important for the team than me. I have a job, and that's to lead us to a win every week. As long as I do that, I'll feel good."
It wasn't exactly supposed to be like this.
The Steelers acquired both Wilson and Fields in the offseason, Wilson following his release by Denver and Fields via trade with Chicago, as they completely overhauled their quarterback room.
Wilson was named the starter coming out of training camp, despite missing two weeks of time with a calf strain. That issue arose again late last week, leading to Fields being inserted as the starter in an 18-10 win over Atlanta. Wilson served as the third quarterback in that game.
The 35-year-old veteran would almost certainly love to start this week against his former team, one that unceremoniously moved on from him after the 2023 season, but he also understands that there is a bigger picture to look at when it comes to the season.
"I'm getting closer," Wilson said after Thursday's practice in which he was listed as a partial participant. "I'm just trying to be smart."
It helps that the Steelers' coaching staff has complete trust in the abilities of Fields.
While the fourth-year quarterback hasn't started a game in Denver before, he did face the Broncos in 2023 while with the Bears and had one of the best games of his career. Fields completed 28 of 35 passes for 335 yards with four touchdown passes and one interception, though the Bears lost to Wilson and the Broncos, 31-28.
And the Steelers aren't looking for Fields to carry the offense quite like Chicago was doing. They just want him to play solid, mistake-free football in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's offense.
That's what Fields did last week against the Falcons.
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"He was very disciplined," Smith said of Fields. "He wasn't greedy. When the shots were there, we took advantage of them."
For Fields, who didn't find out for sure until Sunday he would be starting, it was a good game under less-than-ideal circumstances. And given the fact he's had all of this week to prepare as the starter, there is an expectation that he could be even better.
But he doesn't approach things that way.
"I come into every week with the same approach that I'm going to play because I've got to be ready," Fields said. "I guess that helps me, but it's really the same process for me."
He also has Wilson, who spent the previous two seasons with the Broncos, to lean on for information.
Wilson has been a longtime mentor for Fields going back to his days at Ohio State, and that hasn't changed since they've become teammates, even when they were competing for the same starting job.
Wilson trusts in Fields to get the job done on Sunday, which makes it easier for him to rest his injury with the team's long-term goals taking precedence over wanting to play against his former team.
"With this so early in the season, I want to be strategic," Wilson said. "Coach (Mike Tomlin) and I have talked a lot about it. We believe in our football team. We believe in who we are and all the things we can do. So, just trying not to rush it, so it's (not) a long, long period of time."
