Fields will start at quarterback in Sunday's game against the Falcons, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

EDGE Analysis

Russell Wilson was named the Steelers' starter coming out of the preseason, but he'll be inactive as the third quarterback for the season opener after he picked up a calf injury Thursday and was limited in practice Friday as a result. Though Wilson remained hopeful to play after being listed questionable heading into Sunday, the Steelers are choosing to exercise caution with the veteran signal-caller, opening the door for Fields to start in what will be his Pittsburgh debut. During his previous three seasons with the Bears, Fields was a viable fantasy starter due to his dual-threat abilities, but poor accuracy, turnover issues and a penchant for taking sacks rendered him less valuable from a real-life standpoint. He could be a worthwhile lineup option in Week 1 -- especially in superflex formats or leagues that start two quarterbacks -- but Fields could be headed back to the bench as soon as Week 2 in Denver with Wilson's calf injury seemingly viewed as a short-term concern.

Fields is considered "more likely" than Russell Wilson (calf) to start Sunday's season opener versus the Falcons, though the Steelers won't make a decision on a starter until Wilson gets examined early Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Steelers named Wilson their starting quarterback following the preseason, but the nine-time Pro Bowler experienced calf tightness this week and was limited in practices Thursday and Friday, making his status for the opener murky. Though Wilson has informed the coaching staff that he thinks he can play through the injury, a decision on his status will likely sit in the hands of the team's training staff. Pittsburgh has a third quarterback on the roster in Kyle Allen, who would be in store for backup duties behind Fields if the Steelers choose to make Wilson inactive ahead of the game's 1 p.m. ET kickoff. While battling Wilson for the starting job during the preseason, Fields suited up for all three of the Steelers' exhibition tilts and completed 19 of 27 pass attempts for 199 yards while taking five sacks and carrying 13 times for 48 yards and fumbling four times (losing none).

With Russell Wilson dealing with a calf injury, Fields relayed that he took first-team reps during team periods in Friday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wilson, who had previously been named the Steelers' starting quarterback, was very limited during Friday's session, per Pryor and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's season opener against the Falcons. While Wilson has expressed a degree of optimism regarding his Week 1 status, if he ends up not being ready to face Atlanta, Fields would be in line to start in his place.

Fields will begin the regular season as the backup to Russell Wilson, who was named the Week 1 starter Wednesday, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

Fields began the offseason clearly behind Wilson on Pittsburgh's depth chart, and though he managed to pressure the veteran during training camp and the preseason, the 25-year-old signal-caller will ultimately have to wait in the wings for an opportunity as the season progresses. Throughout the preseason, Fields' performance was largely a mixed bag, as turnovers and unfortunate sacks reminiscent of his time in Chicago detracted from otherwise impressive athleticism and accuracy in the middle and short areas of the field. Fields will likely need Wilson to struggle or miss time in order to gain a starting opportunity of his own this season, but if such an outcome does materialize, he'll immediately enter the mix as a high-upside fantasy option.

Fields completed three of his four passes for 40 yards in Saturday's 24-17 preseason loss to the Lions. He added two rushes for four yards.

EDGE Analysis

Fields took over the offense after one drive in relief of Russell Wilson. As has been the case for much of preseason and training camp, his performance was a mixed bag. He looked accurate in the middle and short areas of the field and led a scoring drive, but he also took two sacks and had a missed exchange on a snap. Coach Mike Tomlin declined to name a starting quarterback after the game, but usage in the last two weeks suggests that Fields will begin the season as the backup to Wilson.

Fields completed 11-of-17 passes for 92 yards in Saturday's 9-3 preseason loss to the Bills. He added eight rushes for 42 yards.

EDGE Analysis

Fields followed Russell Wilson into the game and got his first series just before the two-minute warning in the first half. He worked with the second-team offense but led the team to field-goal range on his second possession on a drive that began with just over one minute remaining in the second quarter. Fields accounted for the biggest gain on the drive with a 20-yard scramble. In terms of passing, Fields primarily worked in the short areas of the field, though he did experience more success than Wilson from a statistical standpoint. He'll almost certainly see playing time in the Steelers' third preseason game at Detroit, though it remains to be seen if he gets the starting nod over Wilson as the quarterback competition remains unresolved in Pittsburgh.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that Russell Wilson will start Saturday's preseason game against the Bills, leaving Fields in position to enter the contest second, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Tomlin said he expects Pittsburgh's starters to play roughly four series Saturday, per Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com, which could leave Fields to work with the second-team offense. Though Wilson will start in his preseason debut and still seems to be atop the quarterback depth chart, Fields remains part of an ongoing competition under center. Pryor reports that Fields opened Thursday's practice with the first-team offense. After fumbling twice versus the Texans last week, it will benefit Fields if he's able to play mistake-free football against Buffalo on Saturday.

Fields completed five of six passes for 67 yards, rushed three times for two yards and had two fumbles, both recovered by his own team, in Friday's 20-12 preseason loss to the Texans.

EDGE Analysis

Fields got the start and played the first quarter with Pittsburgh's first-team offense while Russell Wilson was held out after recently battling a calf injury. Wilson remains the frontrunner in Pittsburgh's quarterback competition, and Fields didn't make a convincing case to change that narrative, as he failed to lead the offense to any points and put the ball on the ground twice. Fields will try to rebound and make up some ground on Wilson in next Saturday's preseason game against the Bills.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday that Fields and the first-team offense will likely play a couple of drives in Friday's preseason game against Houston, Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Fellow quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) won't play despite returning to full practice participation Tuesday, with Tomlin noting that the 35-year-old is still in the driver's seat for the Week 1 start, as reflected by Pittsburgh's initial preseason depth chart, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. Fields may still be an underdog for the starting quarterback job, but he's getting plenty of opportunities to make an impression and gain ground on Wilson thanks to the calf injury that limited Wilson for the first two weeks of training camp.

Fields has impressed early in training camp and is still attempting to make a case for the starting quarterback job, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Fields has seen increased work with the first-team offense over the first few days of training camp since Russell Wilson has been hampered by a calf injury. While coach Mike Tomlin recently said that Wilson continues to have "pole position" in the quarterback competition, Fields has posed a challenge for Pittsburgh's defense through his versatility as a passer and runner. While Wilson remains the favorite to start with just over a month remaining until the regular season, Fields should continue to have the chance to compete for the job during preseason action.