‘Older Players Don’t Get Healthier:’ Analyst Thinks Wilson’s Injuries Make Him Risky

Russell Wilson might be the better quarterback than Justin Fields. But he’s not the healthier one. One analyst thinks that’s enough to stick with Fields the rest of the way. Discussing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback outlook on Tuesday’s edition of ESPN’s Get Up, analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Damien Woody thinks sticking with Fields is the right move.

“Russell Wilson, let me say this,” Woody told the show. “Older players don’t get healthier. This injury is going to linger. Russell Wilson already is a diminished athlete. What upside is it gonna bring in the passing game? It’s gonna be minimal.”

Wilson has dealt with two calf strains to the same leg the past six weeks. While both are minor, soft-tissue injuries linger and are more impactful when players get older. Pittsburgh’s cautiousness has been to prevent a small injury from becoming a big one. It’s why RB Jaylen Warren, who injured his hamstring in the preseason, didn’t see much action against the Falcons and was out-carried by Cordarrelle Patterson.

While Fields wasn’t spectacular against the Atlanta Falcons, he played winning football and did what the Steelers asked of him. That could provide enough confidence in giving him another look while they slow-play Wilson’s return as they did during training camp.

Mike Tomlin should provide an update on Wilson’s health and status during his Tuesday press conference, though it’s most likely going to be a vague “his health will guide us” comment. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggested Fields is likely to be the Steelers’ starter this weekend against the Denver Broncos, though his comments felt more like speculation than reporting.

Over his career, Wilson has been remarkably durable. He started every game his first nine NFL seasons until an ugly-looking finger injury knocked him out of three games in 2021. Even then, he beat the initial timetable and finished out the year. In two years with Denver, he missed four games, though half of them came from his benching to close out 2023. But like any athlete, the older you get, the more prone they are to injury. And more likely to need extra time to recover.