Steelers Injury Updates: Russell Wilson Day-to-Day

UNITY TWP, Pa. — The Pittsburgh Steelers lost one offensive player before practice on Thursday, but otherwise seem mostly healthy coming out of the team’s first training camp practice at St. Vincent College.

Quarterback Russell Wilson was held out of the main portion of practice after waking up with tightness in his calf, head coach Mike Tomlin said. Justin Fields took the first-team reps at quarterback.

“It was my decision to sit him down today, create a little short-term discomfort for him, not allowing the small problem to become a bigger problem,” Tomlin said. “He could be characterized as day-to-day. But on the flip side of that it was an awesome opportunity for Justin [Fields], and the challenge for our offensive unit to deal with a little adversity at the outset. You know, we all like to start with great fluidity and [to be] clean, but football isn’t always like that. And so really, I looked at it as a good thing for a collective of talents, for the offense a unit, a challenge and an opportunity to get to know Russ a little bit, create a little short-term misery for him, opportunities for others, and so that’s the story there.”

Wilson was expected to have an MRI on Thursday, a team source told Steelers Now, but the injury is not expected to be serious.

Tomlin said on Wednesday that he intends to rotate Fields and Wilson into the mix with the first team throughout training camp, though he declined to specify what that rotation might look like.

Elsewhere, the team got through the practice without any obvious injuries. Tight end Connor Heyward left practice briefly with a leg cramp before returning.

Cornerback Cory Trice Jr. had his first practice as a full participant after ACL surgery last summer. Trice wore a knee brace throughout OTAs and minicamp, but was cleared for the first practice of training camp.

Cordarrelle Patterson (NFI, hamstring) was in attendance, but did no physical work. Tomlin confirmed that Dean Lowry is dealing with a lower-body soft-tissue injury. Lowry and Cole Holcomb are on the PUP list.

STEELERS INJURY REPORT