Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin finally cracked the door on a Steelers' QB debate -- let's have at it

After months of staying cool while the national media was inventing a quarterback controversy that didn’t exist, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has essentially just created one for everybody with a laptop or a microphone.

During his weekly Tuesday press conference, Tomlin was directly asked if Russell Wilson would still be the team’s starting quarterback when he was deemed healthy enough to play.

The easy answer would have been, “ Yes. ”

Well, if that’s the answer that Tomlin truly meant.

Instead, he said, “I’m not going to soothe you with hypothetical scenarios. It is my general practice to not. You guys who know me know I do not. So why start today because it’s the quarterback position? Or because it’s a national story? I am unmoved by some of those narratives, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said.

“We’ll push through the work week and let (injured players’) participation be our guide in terms of whether to include them and then the quality of that participation. This scenario is no different for me. … Our energies and attention are on those that are available and are scheduled to play. They are deserving of that. When those that are not (get) healthy, we’ll ponder it at that time.”

The longer it takes for a coach to say something besides a simple “ Yes ” in that situation, the closer the answer is to being a “ No. ”

And, let’s be honest, that was a pretty long answer from Tomlin.

The next option at quarterback is Justin Fields. He started and won the Steelers’ 18-10 Week 1 game in Atlanta. Now, according to Tomlin, the franchise is operating under the assumption that Fields will be the starter for Week 2 in Denver until or unless Wilson’s troublesome calf injury gets better by Sunday at 4:25.

Maybe.

But Tomlin wouldn’t even assure that.

“I’m not into the hypotheticals,” Tomlin said. “Right now, he’s not healthy. So my time and attention are focused on the readiness of Justin.”

If I was Tomlin, I would go back to Wilson if he was ready to play. The organization signed Wilson for a reason when they could’ve had Fields at first. They didn’t get Fields until they signed Wilson and decided to trade Kenny Pickett.

That should count for something.

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I also wonder how many of those six field goal drives Fields engineered to beat the Falcons could have been touchdown drives if Wilson had been the QB. Maybe that game is 26-10 if Wilson is the starter.

Or maybe Wilson truly is as washed up as he looked at times in Denver the past two years, and the Steelers would’ve lost 10-9 in Atlanta.

Fields truly might be the better option. I’m not ruling that out.

But if I’m Tomlin or offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, I’d want to know that for sure before I flip my depth chart and make Fields the starter over an eventually healthy Wilson. I’d want to see Wilson at least start a regular season game before making that call.

It’s not hard to go back to Fields. It’s certainly easier than having to go to Wilson if Fields bombs after taking Wilson’s job away before he ever got to play a down in the regular season.

As a result, I would disagree with Tomlin’s choice if he decides to start Fields over a healthy Wilson on Sunday in Colorado. But, frankly, I’m not going to criticize him for how he is handling things at the start of the week.

I’m one who tends to be skeptical of the veracity of anything Tomlin says in these press conference settings. Of course I am. Last year he admitted to using that stage as an opportunity to con the media. So, to quote Tomlin’s good friend Raheem Morris from last week, “Expect the expected.”

That said, in this case, I’m willing to buy what Tomlin is selling. They’ll start practicing Wednesday with Fields as the starter, and if Wilson heals by the time the team takes the field in Denver, they’ll re-evaluate and maybe start him.

I can buy that. I don’t have a complaint with that approach.

Wilson will have one, though. You can bet on it.

If Wilson thinks he is healthy enough to play against the team that bought out his contract in humiliating fashion, and now he is forced to sit on the bench behind a guy who didn’t even lead a touchdown drive last week, for sure, he’ll be ticked.

Could you blame him?

Questions about Tomlin’s honesty on this matter might fall into the bucket of how hurt he really believes Wilson is. For instance, if Wilson is 85%, and Fields is the next option, Tomlin is going to consider playing Fields.

However, what if Fields had gotten hurt last week, and the choice was between an 85% Wilson and 100% Kyle Allen?

No offense to Allen, but my guess is that I’d be writing a different column right now. Probably one about the Pirates wasting Paul Skenes’ rookie season with their August collapse because, well, there is plenty of meat on the bone there.

But I digress.

Not to mention, what if Fields is great Sunday, the Steelers win again, and Tomlin wants to keep him as the starter heading into the home opener next week against the Los Angeles Chargers? Tomlin can’t do that if he definitively says this week that Wilson will be the starter whenever he is healthy. The coach is just leaving himself a little cushion, which is smart.

So, I don’t have a problem with how Tomlin is handling this from the standpoint of transparency and game-planning for the practice week. While I’d disagree if he is leaning toward Fields, that’s his choice as a coach. I can squint and see the logic.

Kinda.

I’m just putting out a warning to the coach and a reality check for Pittsburgh. By refusing to be declarative about Wilson coming back as the starter once healthy, he is creating the space for the once-mythical QB controversy to now actually thrive.

Listen: Tim Benz and Joe Rutter dig into what Mike Tomlin had to say about his quarterbacks, the upcoming Steelers-Broncos game, the defense and more.