The Steelers’ Russell Wilson will likely see action for the first time against the Raiders; Justin Fields begins

Russell Wilson may not be QB1, but he will likely be promoted to QB2 for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

After practice Friday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Wilson likely will be Pittsburgh’s No. 2 quarterback on Sunday, behind starter Justin Fields and ahead of Kyle Allen. Wilson was the No. 3 emergency quarterback in Pittsburgh’s first five games.

Wilson’s expected promotion caps a successful week for the veteran quarterback. He returned to full training for the first time since aggravating his calf injury in Week 1.

“Like what I saw out here,” Tomlin said of Wilson’s week on 93.7 The Fan. “I thought he had a good week showing off his health and his ability to protect himself. Now it’s just a process of getting used to the ball again.”

Fields will be in the starting lineup again this week, but given Wilson’s high practice status, it’s fair to wonder if his time as the Steelers’ starting quarterback is coming to an end. At least Fields no longer has a chance to convince Tomlin that he should remain the team’s QB1.

Fields had perhaps his least impressive performance in Sunday night’s 20-17 loss to Dallas. But despite hitting a season-low 55.65% of his attempts, Fields managed a scoring drive late in the game that ended with a touchdown pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth that gave Pittsburgh the lead. However, the Steelers defense allowed the Cowboys to score the winning goal after Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott hit wideout Jalen Tolbert in the end zone on fourth-and-goal in the final minute.

Although Fields didn’t have his best performance on Sunday night, his overall performance this season was solid. He was accurate for the most part, handled the ball well for the most part and added an extra dimension to the offense with his running ability.

Fields has been solid, but the lack of overall success from Pittsburgh’s offense (the unit currently ranks 26th in the NFL in scoring) has largely contributed to the team’s two-game losing streak. It has also opened the door for Wilson to take over the QB1 position if he is deemed healthy enough for it.

Sunday’s game is a big one for the Steelers, who are now tied with Baltimore for first place in the AFC North. It’s also a big game for Fields as it may be his last chance to show what he can do as the Steelers’ starting quarterback.