The Pittsburgh Steelers were victorious in Week 1, an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons, but as is the norm every regular season in the NFL, you have to turn the page quickly. What lies ahead in Week 2 for the black-and-gold? A road trip to Denver to play the Broncos. Ahead of this matchup there are a myriad of storylines, none more discussed than Russell Wilson’s return to Denver.

But will Wilson even be available to play in Week 2 when he goes against his former team?

Mike Tomlin addressed the media Tuesday, and what came as a shock to many was how open Tomlin was about the quarterback situation heading into the week of preparation. Instead of talking about “leaving the light on” or “letting participation be our guide”, Tomlin spoke about meeting with Russell Wilson before the press conference.

In that meeting Wilson told Tomlin he feels better today than he did over the weekend, but Tomlin admitted that doesn’t mean much at this portion of the week. Tomlin added he won’t know today with no practice what Wilson will be capable of until he gets back on the field. Tomlin added they are taking the same approach to this injury as with any normal injury, starting with Wilson’s level of participation and the quality of that participation.

The Steelers head coach added it will come down to whether or not he will be able to protect himself, as well as be productive within the typical structure of the offense?

Tomlin said he’ll know those answers when we get to those points, but the team will ponder his inclusions in the game prep, or not. Lastly, Tomlin added Wilson is not expected to go through a full workout tomorrow, Wednesday, and he will meet with doctors after his light workout Wednesday to see what they think as it pertains to Wilson’s calf injury. He would add again later in the press conference how Wilson isn’t healthy, so the setback suffered last week might have more of a lengthy impact than just one week.

If that wasn’t enough, Tomlin told media as he spoke Tuesday the organization is moving forward as if Justin Fields is the Steelers quarterback. Choosing to focus on the players who are available and their readiness level heading into the Denver game. Tomlin went on to add he is excited to have Fields go through a complete week with him in the preparation process.

While fans will have to wait to see if Wilson improves enough to participate, but there were other injuries outlined by the head coach heading into Week 2.

Punter Cameron Johnston will have surgery upcoming in the couple days for the injury Tomlin labeled as “serious” once again. The punter is lost for the season, and Tomlin spoke how he is, “Really disappointed for him.” As Johnston has been moved to Injured Reserve (IR), the team added punter Corliss Waitman. Waitman has experience with the Steelers, and Tomlin spoke about how he is “excited about him” re-joining the team. Tomlin spoke about Waitman’s experience with the Steelers, but also his experience in Denver with the Broncos.

Other injuries of note were cornerback Darius Rush being placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. had an ankle swell up after the game, and this injury could limit early in the week.

In the good news department, Tomlin said he expects an uptick of participation for players like wide receiver Roman Wilson (ankle) and offensive tackle Troy Fautanu (knee) as they continue to work their way back not just from injury, but also getting their feet wet as rookies in the NFL. Tomlin also said the team will see where Isaac Seumalo is in his recovery from a pectoral injury this week, and, as always, will let his participation be the guide for when he is able to return to the offensive line. This statement combined with the Steelers not putting Seumalo on IR should indicate he is closer to a return than most expected when his injury became public knowledge.

Later in the press conference a question was asked about Jaylen Warren’s healthy as he comes back from a hamstring injury, and Tomlin said he is “healthy enough” in regards to NFL preparedness, but he absolutely didn’t sound as if Warren was 100% as he works his way back to health. This could explain his lack of touches in Week 1 in Atlanta.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Broncos in Week 2 of the NFL regular season. To get a recap of Coach Tomlin’s entire press conference, check out the podcast below: