Russell Wilson injured: Justin Fields starts Pittsburgh's season opener against the Falcons

Justin Fields will get another opportunity to show what he can do while leading the Pittsburgh Steelers' first offense, but unlike his previous opportunities, this one will come in Pittsburgh's regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

Fields will start in place of Russell Wilson, who suffered a calf injury during practice late last week. Wilson — who missed a lot of time this summer after suffering a calf injury shortly before the start of training camp — was listed as questionable for Sunday's game after participating in limited practice on Thursday and Friday.

Field, a former first-round pick, was acquired by the Steelers this offseason (via a trade with the Bears) after Pittsburgh traded former first-round pick Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia. At the time of the acquisition, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Wilson was in “pole position” over Fields due to Wilson's overall performance in the NFL.

But Fields' performance this offseason raised questions about whether a real battle for the quarterback position was brewing in Pittsburgh. Although it was discussed all summer, Wilson never gave up his position as QB1. Although Wilson missed a lot of practice time, he was largely effective during his time leading the first-string offense in the preseason. He completed 10 of 12 passes in two preseason appearances, including a touchdown drive during his final possession of the tryout season.

Fields was also successful in the preseason (he completed 70.4% of his throws and was the Steelers' best runner), but the majority of the offenses he led failed to produce points. He was also on the field for several unsuccessful center-quarterback exchanges.

Still, Fields' performance during training camp and the preseason was largely positive, showing off his accurate deep passes as well as his ability to make plays with his feet. These traits led Tomlin to recently say that the Steelers could expect to implement several in-game packages for Fields.

On Sunday, however, Fields will get a chance to call the shots, which could be an opportunity for him to cement his position as Pittsburgh's long-term quarterback option.