Steelers TE Suffers Shoulder Injury at Training Camp
![Oct 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers special teams player Rodney Williams (87) celebrates a safety against the Baltimore Ravens after a blocked punt during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports Oct 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers special teams player Rodney Williams (87) celebrates a safety against the Baltimore Ravens after a blocked punt during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_452/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_steelers/01j3tyxe5brntyjyt9gp.jpg)
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers had their first scary moment of training camp as tight end Rodney William went down with an obvious shoulder injury after catching a ball across the middle.
Williams reached out and hauled in a pass from Kyle Allen during team drills and landed awkwardly on his right shoulder. He remained down on the field in obvious pain and training staff rushed to check on him. He was able to stand on his own power and be treated by staff on the sideline. After several minutes of working with him, he continued to walk around the sideline, wearing his helmet as if everything was good enough to continue playing.
According to head coach Mike Tomlin, Williams suffered an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder. As of now, it's considered a day-to-day injury but it'll likely keep him sidelined on the final day of practice this week and he will test out his shoulder next week at practice.
Williams is fighting for a roster spot with Connor Heyward, Mycole Pruitt and Darnell Washington. After being elevated to the 53-man roster last season, he has another opportunity to be part of the active roster in 2024.
Outside of Williams, the Steelers were still without quarterback Russell Wilson, who is nursing a calf injury. Wilson has yet to practice after tweaking his calf during the conditioning test at the beginning of training camp.
In his place remains Justin Fields, with Kyle Allen and John Rhys Plumlee behind him. It's unknown when Wilson will return to the field for the Steelers. Pittsburgh has one final practice this weekend before taking a day off. When they return on Tuesday, they'll begin padded practices, which could be a good debut for their "poll position" starting quarterback in Wilson.