Steelers QB Russell Wilson returns to practice at training camp

He took a snap and turned to his left to hand it off to reserve running back Aaron Shampklin, then backpedaled quickly so as to remove himself from the play.

It was as nondescript as any 11-on-11 rep over the five practices completed so far during this Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and it was a routine football maneuver Wilson had executed countless times over the past two decades.

But for Wilson and the Steelers, the sequence was a milestone: Wilson’s first live team rep as Steelers quarterback during this training camp.

“It’s good to be back out here again with the guys, putting the helmet on,” said Wilson, who did not take part in any full-squad drills over the first four days of camp because of a calf injury. “Just doing the quarterback drills, the fundamental work, some of the handoffs. But being in there with the fellas is always the best part. It was a good day, for sure.”

But Wilson’s calf tightened up as the result of pushing a blocking sled during the annual conditioning test on the day the Steelers reported to Saint Vincent College last week.

That compelled coach Mike Tomlin to sit Wilson when practices started, and that persisted all throughout the four-day acclimation period to start camp before a day off Monday leading into Tuesday’s first full-contact practice of camp.

Former Chicago Bears starter Justin Fields — also acquired in March — has been taking the first-team reps. Aside from two called running plays in which Wilson took the snaps, Fields again ran with the first-team offense Tuesday. Wilson did, however, take a series with the starters during a 7-on-7 period late in practice.