Russell Wilson of the Steelers prepares to face the Jets

PITTSBURGH – Quarterback Russell Wilson said he is preparing to take on the New York Jets as the Steelers' starter on Sunday night.

Coach Mike Tomlin has declined to name a starter, but Wilson, who suffered a calf injury in training camp in early September, took first-team reps in practice and led the quarterback rotation in individual drills this week. He was active for the first time this season last week against Las Vegas, but did not play.

“I'm more physically myself, fit and running and stuff, so I feel good,” Wilson said Thursday. “…You want to be able to move around, and obviously I've never really missed games, so that was a challenge in itself.”

“It was disappointing, but I also grew a lot. I think you realize you just keep loving every day. You keep finding ways to take the lead, you keep finding ways to just accept the challenges, the hard things, the obstacles in our path and everything else. And you look forward to the trip.

The Steelers went 4-2 with Justin Fields in the starting lineup, but Wilson was still listed as QB1 on the depth chart for those six weeks.

“I think Justin did a great job,” Wilson said. “I think he’s a great quarterback. I have fought him over the years. He's a great football player, a great teammate and so on. And I think what's even more important for us is that we keep going throughout the season. We want.” The goal every year is to get better and continue to grow.

When asked about the possible inconveniences of a quarterback change, Wilson pointed to his time in Denver when he sat on the bench for Jarrett Stidham near the end of the season.

“I overcame a challenge last year. It was kind of unexpected along the way, and that was a challenge in itself,” Wilson said. “But at the same time, you lead with love. You lead with love for the game, love for your teammates, just love for what you get to do every day.”

“…I came here for one reason and one reason only. That was winning the Super Bowl. That was to go as far as we could and see where we could take it. I think we have this opportunity, but we have to work on it.”