Russell Wilson could be on much shorter leash upon return from injury
By Ryan Heckman
Before the Pittsburgh Steelers took the field in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, few players came out to warm up before quarterback Russell Wilson did.
Whether you think it's just his "shtick" or he's really this confident in himself, Wilson came out ready to play and wanted to act as though he was starting, even though he wasn't. Instead, it was Justin Fields who got the call due to Wilson's nagging calf injury that kept him out much of training camp.
As the team gets set for a Week 2 matchup with the Denver Broncos, many preseason narratives would have spun the idea of Wilson getting his "revenge game" against his former team. However, it's almost a guarantee that Fields will once again be starting this one, as the team prepares as such this week.
Barring any unforeseen report or change, Fields will get the call.
And, in a long line of Wilson updates throughout the week, Bleacher Report's James Palmer had some thoughts on exactly what's going on inside the Steelers organization right now, as far as the quarterbacks are concerned.
"If this (Wilson injury) lasts only this week, they go back to Russell Wilson, after this Denver game," Palmer said.
More Steelers quarterback news
So, it appears as though Wilson will return to his starting gig once he's healthy, assuming the former Bronco will be good to go for Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, Palmer did go on to note that Wilson's job would be anything but set in stone, were he to come back by then.
"I think it's much shorter of a leash than if he would have just started the season, with the way they thought Fields played in the first one and if he goes out and beats the Denver Broncos in his second appearance with them."
Mike Tomlin is unafraid to make drastic changes at the quarterback position
Think about head coach Mike Tomlin's history as a head coach in Pittsburgh. You don't have to think back too long or far to understand this fact.
Just last year, Tomlin opted to stick with Mason Rudolph as the team's starter after Kenny Pickett was recovered from an injury. Even though Pickett was a first-round pick recently invested into by the Steelers, Tomlin stuck to his guns. He believed Rudolph to be the best man for the job.
The exact same thing will hold true in this situation with Fields and Wilson. Should Wilson come back after watching Fields have a great outing against Denver, it's going to be extremely difficult for him to make a switch. We've already heard Fields is very well-liked around the organization and Wilson has endured two less-than-perfect breakups with former teams.
If Fields is playing well, he'll likely keep the job. If he doesn't then Wilson's leash begins as a very, very short one.