Though QB Justin Fields has played well enough to be declared the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback, Mike Tomlin continued to decline the opportunity during his Tuesday press conference. He’s maintained the same posture since QB Russell Wilson aggravated his calf injury 72 hours before the team’s regular-season opener. Fields will prepare as the starter, Wilson will work back to complete health, and no official long-term starter has been declared.
For Tomlin, he has no intention to announce a starter until one is required.
“Because there’s no need,” he said via the team’s YouTube channel when candidly asked why he hasn’t named a starter. “I explained to you the variables of the week. It has not changed. [Fields’s] gonna walk in this building with that mindset tomorrow. And so really, there’s no need to. Sometimes in this business, man, there’s a myriad of complex decisions that need to be made. I’ve learned to make them when it’s appropriate and it’s not necessary as we sit here right now.
“When Russ gets to an appropriate point of health and we have a decision to make, I’ll make it, and I’ll announce it and I’ll be really transparent about it. But until then, I don’t care how many ways you guys ask me. I got no intentions of making the decision that’s unnecessary at this juncture.”
It’s a similar answer to what he gave last week, annoyed by several questions taking different angles to gain insight into Wilson’s health and Fields’ status moving forward. This situation is playing out almost identical to last year when Tomlin used this language for Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph. Pickett was recovering from a high ankle sprain and Rudolph came off the bench to provide a spark and turn around the team after a three-game losing streak.
Occurring at the end of the season, that timeline was a bit more condensed, but Tomlin used Pickett’s uncertain health and availability as his escape hatch for several weeks. When he did declare Pickett healthy and Rudolph the official starter, the decision was obvious and barely even needed to be said.
With Wilson’s injury happening at the start of the season, the timeline has been extended. At some point, Wilson will be fully healthy, and Tomlin won’t be able to shield himself with levels of participation being his guide. Unless Fields drastically regresses, it’s hard to see him being benched even if Wilson won the job coming out of the preseason.
Until then, Tomlin can use the same vocabulary, avoiding the national headline of “Fields is the starter, Wilson benched” while giving him an “out” should Fields’ play go backwards.
