Russell Wilson's injured calf will keep him out of Sunday's season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, making Justin Fields the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers had named Wilson the team's starting quarterback but the 12-year NFL veteran aggravated a calf injury this past week that had sidelined him earlier in training camp.

He had tried to warmup up before Pittsburgh's game at Atlanta before the team ultimately decided to make him the emergency quarterback.

As the emergency QB, he can only take the field if Fields and backup Kyle Allen both get injured.

Justin Fields will start at QB today for the Steelers. (via @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/OGaNbxXT4E

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

The Steelers acquired Fields from the Chicago Bears in March for a conditional draft pick. 

The pick will be a sixth-rounder unless Fields plays 51% of the snaps this season for Pittsburgh, then it will become a fourth-rounder.

Fields made 38 starts and appeared in 40 games for Chicago since he was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He completed 60.3% of his passes with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions and added 14 rushing scores.

The 35-year-old Wilson, a Super Bowl XLVIII champion with the Seattle Seahawks, joined the Steelers a week before they made the trade for Fields after two disappointing seasons with the Denver Broncos.