Russell Wilson’s regular-season debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to wait after an ongoing calf injury forced the signal caller to miss Sunday’s Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Justin Fields, who grew up just outside of Atlanta in Kennesaw, Ga., is slated to start.
Wilson initially injured his calf on July 24 when he was pushing a sled during the team’s conditioning test. The injury limited Wilson during the first two weeks of training camp and forced him to miss the first preseason game.
On Thursday, just three days before the season opener, his status was called into question when Wilson aggravated the calf during a routes-on-air segment of practice. He left practice and was listed as a limited participant. On Friday, Fields confirmed he took the team reps while Wilson was again limited.
Wilson said this week that he would do everything in his power to play and planned to test it ahead of the game.
“If I can go, I’m going to go and try to do everything I can to help us win,” Wilson said Friday. “That’s how I think about it. If not, I’m going to do everything that I can to help us win in that way, too.”
On Sunday at about 10:25 a.m. ET, Wilson came onto the field for early warmups. He walked the length of the field several times and then threw numerous passes into both end zones. He also participated in a more extensive warmup with teammates.
Wilson will be in uniform and serve as the emergency third quarterback, the Steelers announced. Kyle Allen will serve as Fields’ backup.
(Photo: Lon Horwedel / Imagn Images)
