Pittsburgh Steelers Name Russell Wilson the Starter

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00:00Lots of injuries, of course, Adam, as usual, as we get close to the start of the year.

00:08The Steelers are dealing with several of them, along with, of course, yesterday Tomlin naming

00:14Russell Wilson as their starter for week one.

00:16Yeah, let's get started before we get to the injuries with Russell Wilson.

00:19I could just tell from being there.

00:21I mentioned Pharrell here on Coast to Coast, been with them for two days.

00:27You just see the difference and the calming influence that Russell Wilson has around the

00:31football team.

00:32He's willing to make tough throws where Justin Fields doesn't really process all that well.

00:37Really good athlete.

00:38And what you're going to see with Justin Fields is they're going to use him potentially in

00:41a third down and short, sort of a change-up quarterback, maybe runs certain formations.

00:46This will give the defense something else to think about.

00:50And we've seen this before with Arthur Smith, with Marcus Mariota, when Mariota and Smith

00:55worked together in Atlanta.

00:57But bottom line is, Russell Wilson's going to be the starter week one and probably going

01:00for it for a while.

01:01Now, at some point, if Russell Wilson isn't playing well or they're eliminated from the

01:05playoffs late in the season, that's certainly when you can see Justin Fields take over.

01:08But updating some injury situations, let's get to their offensive line, which Mike, when

01:12they face those Falcons in week one in Atlanta, a week from this Sunday, they've got a lot

01:17of injuries.

01:18Fitanu, their first-round pick-right tackle, has got an MCL sprain.

01:21Started working this week.

01:22They're pretty hopeful he'll be able to play.

01:24But you don't like that a rookie misses part of training camp.

01:27That worries me a little bit.

01:29When you look at the interior of their offensive line, this is a problem.

01:34They just lost one of their guards due to a pectoral strain.

01:38That worries me.

01:39Nate Herbig, his brother Nick, who's on defense, Nate's out for the season with that torn rotator

01:46cuff.

01:47So that worries me.

01:48Isaac Sayamala, who I was talking about, former Eagles offensive lineman, who was the highest-graded

01:52offensive lineman, I'm told, from last season.

01:55He's the guy who's got the pectoral strain.

01:57So they're down and deaf, certainly on the offensive line.

01:59Your brother Jones didn't play well, their first-round pick from last season.

02:02So they've got to get that going, I'm told, with Rowan Wilson.

02:06So that lingering ankle injury, I'm told, we could update this.

02:08This is actually a high-ankle sprain.

02:10That's why he's not back yet.

02:12He's working very limited this week.

02:15It's going to be touch-and-go whether he could be available for week one against Atlanta.

02:18Look for Van Jefferson, another former Atlanta Falcon, and a former first-round, excuse me,

02:24second-round pick for the Rams some years ago.

02:27He should be able to start week one.

02:28He had a great training camp.

02:29That's why he made it.

02:30I'm told they love his veteran influence.

02:32He almost certainly will start week one, and they'll work Rowan Wilson in when he's ready

02:35to go.

02:36But they're really bagged up.

02:38That does worry me for week one.

02:41You're in Atlanta where it's going to be loud.

02:43That worries me with communication with the offensive line.

02:45Let's not forget, Mike, Russell Wilson is the new starting quarterback with these guys.

02:49That does worry me for that week one matchup.

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