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Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH — Despite naming Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback a week ago, the Steelers enter their Week 1 game in Atlanta without clarity at the position as he’s listed as questionable.
After aggravating his training camp calf injury during an early individual period of Thursday’s practice, casting doubt on his availability to start Sunday’s season opener against the Falcons, Wilson expressed optimism Friday while remaining noncommittal about his status.
“I just felt a little tight,” Wilson said. “I just wanted to be smart about it. Obviously, we play the game on Sunday. I’m hoping I get to be in it, obviously, but just trying to get ready to go.
“I’m trying to get my body ready to go and rock and roll, so we’re doing everything we can.”
Justin Fields will start if Wilson, who was very limited in Friday’s practice, doesn’t play Sunday.
Coach Mike Tomlin on Thursday expressed confidence in Fields’ ability if he’s called upon.
Wilson, who declined to share which calf was injured, said additional evaluation Thursday revealed “good news” about the severity of the aggravation.
“It wasn’t something worse, extremely worse or anything like that, so that was good news,” Wilson said. “I’ve got to be smart and obviously we’re trying to play 20 to 21 games, so I’m trying to play in all [of them], obviously, and that’s kind of my mentality, and how we want to go about it.”
Wilson said his participation Sunday could come down to pregame warmups and proper care in the days leading up to the game.
“The most important thing is just tons of treatment and getting ready to see what I can do each day and take [it] day by day,” Wilson said.
While Wilson and the staff continue to monitor the veteran quarterback’s injured calf, Fields is taking the same steady approach he always follows leading up to games, no matter his position on the depth chart. That’s a lesson he learned early on in Chicago.
“I have the same process every week,” Fields said. “I learned my rookie year how fast things can change. I remember my third game, rookie season, Andy Dalton, he was just running out of bounds and looked like a normal play, and he tweaked his knee and then right then and there I was in. So I always prepare like I’m a starter. … You just never know what can happen.”
Wilson initially sustained the nagging injury on the eve of training camp during the team’s new conditioning test when he took a rep hitting a sled. As a result, he didn’t throw a pass in a live team period for 10 practices and missed the first preseason game.
Asked if he regretted or was frustrated about the circumstances surrounding his injury and its ripple effects, the 35-year-old Wilson deflected.
“Listen, I think the game of football is — I’ve been very fortunate over my whole career to not have many injuries,” Wilson said. “I think the most important thing though is just … it’s unfortunate, but we respond, right?
“We got to react and respond, and my head’s up and [I’m] ready to do everything I can to be ready to go. I think that’s really my focus. It’s not on anything before.”
Fields, who started the preseason opener, said he took first-team reps in team periods Friday, but he had also rotated in with the starters earlier in the week. Because of that additional training camp work with the starting offensive line and skill players, Fields expressed confidence in his ability to lead the group Sunday.
“Yeah, just me talking to the guys in the huddle, me getting reps with [George Pickens], Van [Jefferson], Calvin [Austin III], Scotty [Miller], and those guys. … We all feel very comfortable with each other, playing with each other.”
Rookies Roman Wilson and Logan Lee are listed as out for Sunday’s game, as is guard Isaac Seumalo.
