Russell Wilson injury status: Does Justin Fields have opportunity to prove himself in Week 3?

Game status: Russell Wilson is INACTIVE for Week 3 and will serve as the third quarterback.

Quarterback Justin Fields is set to have another opportunity to prove himself as the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback. Fields has helped the Steelers to a 2-0 start in 2024 and while he hasn’t lit up the stat sheet, he has remained efficient and hasn’t turned the ball over. Russell Wilson has missed the first two games with a calf injury and is listed as questionable according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The Steelers are taking Wilson’s injury week-by-week, but certainly won’t be pressured to move off of Fields as the starter. Wilson has continued to make progress, but has remained limited in practice. Head coach Mike Tomlin said earlier in the week, “We’re readying ourselves around Justin. We’ll stay in that mindset until something happens.”

Over the first two weeks, Fields has been efficient running Arthur Smith’s offense. In Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, Fields completed 13 passes for only 117 yards, but hasn’t turned the ball over and is avoiding negative plays.

Russell Wilson injury status

For a third straight week, Wilson will be listed as questionable heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Wilson continues to make progress with his calf injury, but given that the Steelers are 2-0, there is no rush to insert the quarterback into the starting lineup.

How does Russell Wilson’s injury affect fantasy football?

Through two weeks, the Steelers offense has not been very fantasy friendly. In PPR leagues, George Pickens is just the WR42 and Najee Harris is RB30. However, the opportunity has been there for Pickens. Last week he had a 51-yard catch and touchdown taken away because of penalties. It’s only a matter of time before Pickens and Fields develop on-field chemistry and that pays off in the box score. The Los Angeles Chargers have the number two defense, but the two offenses they’ve faced are the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers.

Is Justin Fields the Steelers quarterback to roster in fantasy football?

If Justin Fields is still available on waivers, fantasy football managers should be looking to scoop him up. With the Steelers at 2-0 through two weeks, there is no pressure for Tomlin or Smith to make a change at quarterback. While Wilson’s injury is legitimate, the Steelers can also continue to use it as a reason to get more looks at Fields in the offense. In the case that Fields continues to put up results, the Steelers may just decide to stick with Fields as the starter moving forward.

The fantasy numbers haven’t been there for Fields just yet. He is currently QB24 and finished as the 24th best quarterback in Week 2. However, it seems like it is only a matter of time before Fields has that big performance. His athletic upside is too good. It may not happen this week against what has been a stingy Chargers defense, but the Steelers’ next three opponents are the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and Raiders.