Mike Tomlin likes to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t live in their fears. That doesn’t mean they won’t exercise caution when necessary, though. Take the preseason for example. In the Steelers’ first preseason game of the year, several starters didn’t suit up. Tomlin recently revealed that will also be the case for their second preseason game. DeShon Elliott doesn’t necessarily agree with that strategy, but he trusts Tomlin.
“We definitely want to play,” Elliott said Thursday via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Twitter. “But shit, [Tomlin] has a (plan) for us. We gonna do our job and he’s gonna do his job.”
Balancing playing time in the preseason is always tough. For the Steelers this year, that might be even more true. They’ve got a lot of proven veteran pieces. That includes Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt. Those players probably don’t need much preseason time to ramp up for the regular season.
However, many of the Steelers’ veterans are also new to the team. Players like DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, and Darius Slay have a lot of NFL experience. What they don’t have is experience with the Steelers. Therefore, the team could use the preseason to help their new pieces jell.
That comes with the runs the risk of injuring a starter, though. There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument. Tomlin is more comfortable letting the Steelers’ younger players get most of the preseason action. Their offensive line is one of the most important parts of their team, but four of their five starters are set to play in both of their first two preseason games to help gain experience.
This week, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Steelers fans won’t see some of the team’s big offseason acquisitions like Metcalf or Aaron Rodgers. However, there’s one final preseason game remaining. In the past, Tomlin has usually gotten his starting unit at least some work in the preseason.
We’ll see if he opts to give Rodgers and company some work in the preseason finale. Currently, that’s up in the air. They did have a joint practice against the Bucs. Perhaps that will influence whether or not Tomlin plays his starters in the Steelers’ third preseason game.
