LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – Quarterback Russell Wilson says for the first time this camp he is full go as he discusses his health, Justin Fields & George Pickens while Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced he won't play in the preseason opener on Friday.
"I'm feeling great," Wilson said Wednesday after practice. "Fully into the practice and involved and doing everything. Been fully involved in the drills the last seven, eight days. To be fully in there actually with the team drills feels great."
Wilson said he has a desire to play in the preseason as there will be two more opportunities. He said he will take it all in at Acrisure Stadium Friday, including the crowd.
If he doesn't play in the preseason, he said that would be nothing new as he said he's had that happen a few times in his career. Wilson said he's played in over 200 real NFL games and understands it, including the speed. Again, not that he doesn't want to play in them, but if for some reason he doesn't, he feels he will be prepared.
Wilson was essentially alternating first team reps with Justin Fields during 11-on-11 drills Wednesday in Latrobe. It's the most Wilson has done and it included him holding the ball in the pocket and throwing where for the last 10 days he would do an occasional handoff from the shotgun during team work.
The 35-year-old said he's been impressed with the communication with the Steelers organization in that he's able to tell trainers he feels great, so they listen and go push it that day. But they are also not afraid to tell him to be smart. He said the staff has a plan for every day and Wilson said they are doing a great job implementing it.
Wilson said he's never really missed practices in his career and he doesn't like to skip the workouts. He feels confident and excited to be out there doing everything.
"I think the offense is progressing in a great fashion," Wilson said. "Our physicality up front has been phenomenal. How we've been able to move off the ball, fire off the ball and do the things we need to do. That opens up everything. We just want to be able to be multiple in our personnel, multiple in our scheme. It's a complete team effort. We are looking good and feeling confident."
Big hands
Wilson said he's been blessed to have the skills he was given to be a Super Bowl winning quarterback in the NFL. It's also been through hard work that began before he hit double digits.
"God gives you a gift to throw a ball, he gave me big hands to throw it," Wilson said. "I think it's, everybody talks about 10,000 reps and all the times you throw and all the times when you are young kid practicing. I had my brother who was a receiver. I had my dad who was a receiver. They would make me up at 5:30 in the morning and go throw. I remember throwing deep post routes when I was eight-years-old and deep go routes."
"We were always working. Those reps as a young kid and just being outside. That's why I always try to have my son around, being around us and training in the offseason. It's good to be outside to learn a lot."
George trust
WR George Pickens and QB Justin Fields played seven-on-seven ball together when they were teenagers. Wilson has only been with the Steelers third-year receiver since training camp opened, but Wilson said he's been aware of Pickens and has spent the last few months watching him on film.
"His ability to see what is around him, special awareness is ability to go up and catch the football," Wilson said. "This ability to get open in different moments is really phenomenal."
The opposition
While Fields has not hesitated to say he wants to be the starting quarterback, both Wilson and Fields have seemed supportive of each other.
"I think he's always been a great player," Wilson said of Fields. "I think he's always had tremendous talent. As he continues to grow every day, his ability to just take each play and take that play in, that's the only play that matters. That's the thing about the quarterback position, there are 75 plays a game. You want to make 75 of them really good, if not great. How do you do that? Consistency is really key and he's done a great job of that."
"It's cool that we get to play on the same team."
