Tomlin is mum, but WR Pickens has asked Wilson to start

PITTSBURGH — Although coach Mike Tomlin remained tight-lipped about the Steelers' quarterback plans for Sunday night, wide receiver George Pickens has seemingly confirmed that Russell Wilson will make his first start of the season against the New York Jets.

“Yes, [we’ve been] Getting on the same page after practice, throwing more than usual because it's his first start,” Pickens said when asked if he was doing extra work with Wilson during practice this week.

But half an hour before Pickens' interview, Tomlin declined to reveal anything about plans when asked if he was ready to name a starter.

“I am, but I'll keep it at home,” Tomlin said. “But I thought [Wilson] Sharp was I thought Justin [Fields] It was sharp as well. I thought we had a very productive week from both the boys and the whole unit.”

Wilson, 35, practiced fully for the second straight week after dealing with a lingering calf injury. Earlier in the week, teammates confirmed that Wilson took first-team reps and that he led the quarterback rotation in individual drills. Fields, who went 4-2 when Wilson was sidelined, was second in the quarterback rotation during drills.

“Justin was really good, and we were really good at times, but not to be confused with great,” Tomlin said earlier this week. “It's a competitive league. We're trying to position ourselves as that team and we've got a talented player who hasn't had a chance to play, so we're going to potentially explore things that sometimes don't happen. Certainly with what Justin did or didn't do. There's something to be done.”

While neither quarterback confirmed his plans for Sunday in their Thursday interview, Wilson said he was “preparing to be ready to go,” while Fields said of his six starts that he “didn't play well enough, if I'm being real with you.”

Fields' coaches and teammates, however, praised the quarterback for his performance and said he was too hard on himself.

“I think he did the best he could,” Naji Harris said. “I think he did a really good job, and he shouldn't, I know what he was trying to do, but just, I'm just saying publicly that we're all proud of him. Don't be so hard on yourself. We've got your back.

“But I think we need all 11 to get on the field and be there. We need both of them [the quarterbacks] Sure.”