PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin is keeping mum about who the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback will be on Sunday night against the New York Jets.
The tea leaves, however, aren’t difficult to read.
While Tomlin declined to get into specifics on how Russell Wilson and Justin Fields split snaps during practice on Wednesday, Wilson’s availability and Tomlin acknowledging that Wilson was “in consideration” to start for the first time this season likely means that barring some last-minute setback, Wilson will make his Steelers debut in primetime against Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.
Tomlin said only that any decision on the starter would be made “in-house” but several players said Wednesday that Wilson and Fields — who has played solidly while helping Pittsburgh to a 4-2 start — split reps with the first team.
The 35-year-old Wilson’s workload has steadily increased in practice over the past few weeks while recovering from a calf injury he first sustained when the team opened training camp then aggravated a couple of days before the season opener against Atlanta. The nine-time Pro Bowler was atop the depth chart at the time of the injury, and Fields never replaced Wilson on that sheet of paper even as he replaced Wilson on gameday.
Tomlin credited Fields for his play over the opening third of the season but said Wilson’s availability could change the paradigm in the quarterback room.
“We got a player with talent who hadn’t had an opportunity to play, so we’re going to potentially explore those things,” Tomlin said.
Wilson, signed to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum in March, was limited to a solitary series during the preseason. Yet Tomlin pointed to Wilson’s resume and experience as assets that leave Tomlin optimistic it would not take long for Wilson to shake off whatever rust remained from the longest inactive stretch of his 13-year career.
Wilson isn’t the only player potentially returning against the Jets. Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith practiced on Wednesday and could be back after missing three games with a groin injury.
“I’m feeling good, optimism is very, very high,” Highsmith said. “Just got to keep trending upwards, continue to feel better and keep getting better.”
The Steelers have been decimated by injury at the linebacker spot opposite star T.J. Watt. The team tasked Nick Herbig and DeMarvin Leal to fill in while Highsmith was out only to have both players get hurt themselves. Herbig is out with a hamstring injury and was placed on injured reserve last week with a neck injury.
Jeremiah Moon, claimed off waivers from Baltimore in February, played 45 snaps last week against the Raiders at outside linebacker and added a blocked punt on special teams, impressing Highsmith in the process.
“That blocked punt was huge,” Highsmith said. “It changed the game. We value that. Moon has been in the league a few years now. He knows what he’s doing. He did a great job coming in and stepping up.”
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