Pittsburgh Review

LATROBE - Russell Wilson did not participate in Friday's practice at Saint Vincent College, but the quarterback expressed no concern over the calf issue that has kept him sidelined for the first two days of Steelers training camp.

After Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin decided to have Wilson sit out again with Justin Fields taking first-team reps, Wilson described the issue as minor.

"I want to get back today, yesterday," Wilson said. "But coach is like 'Listen, we've got time.' And I got a lot of reps in the offseason, so we're just trying not to rush it.

"I hate not practicing. (Tomlin) was laughing. He's like, 'I enjoy this. You've got to wait a second.' And all of that. So, it was funny. I think that coach and the trainers are just being super careful, just so nothing gets worse or nothing happens."

Wilson, 35, is in his first season with the Steelers alongside veteran backups Justin Fields and Kyle Allen and undrafted rookie John Rhys Plumlee. His absence from practice has given other quarterbacks more opportunities for reps they would not normally receive.

With nearly 200 career NFL starts under his belt, Wilson understands how to take mental reps even when he's not throwing the ball.

"The good thing is I'm getting a lot of mental reps and throwing stuff on the side and post-practice work," Wilson said, adding that if the Steelers were playing a game, he would certainly be able to participate.

In the meantime, Wilson will continue to watch until Tomlin deems him ready to return. He also can help mentor Fields, whom the Steelers acquired in an offseason trade with the Chicago Bears.

"There's some really great plays, and there are plays that he responds back to," said Wilson. "So that's part of practice, and he's doing a good job. He's a really good competitor. He processes it well, and he's a tremendous young talent."

Despite his current condition, Tomlin has indicated that Wilson remains in "pole position" to be the Steelers' starter expected to open the season as long as he avoids further injury during conditioning drills where he initially tweaked his calf.

"We were doing a sled-push thing, and I just tweaked it a little bit," Wilson said of Wednesday's conditioning test. "It was the fourth or fifth time we did the sled push; I felt a little something.

"I feel good. It's nothing to panic about or worry about at all."

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