Mike Tomlin went ‘lone ranger’ with controversial Steelers decision

Mike Tomlin, and apparently Mike Tomlin alone, thought Russell Wilson was the Steelers’ best option to start against the Jets on Sunday.

Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported on the network’s pregame show that Tomlin went “lone ranger” when making the surprising switch from Justin Fields to Wilson — who missed time earlier this season with a calf injury — despite Pittsburgh’s 4-2 record, with Tomlin acknowledging he’ll accept responsibility if the decision backfires.

“A lot of people inside that organization who were [against that decision] as well,” Glazer said, citing his conversation with Tomlin the previous night. “And he said, ‘Look, if it doesn’t work out, I’ll take the heat. I’ll shoulder the blame no problem.’”

When asked about his starting quarterback decision Friday, Tomlin said he’d figure out who would open against the Jets but wanted to keep it “in-house.”

But wideout George Pickens seemingly spoiled Tomlin’s attempt at hiding his strategy, telling reporters that he’d spent extra time working with Wilson around practices since Sunday was going to be “his first start.”

Wilson, signed by the Steelers in the offseason after the Broncos released him, won the starting job out of training camp, though a calf injury sidelined him for the first five games before he was active last weekend as Fields’ backup.

“[Tomlin] said, ‘The reason why I did this is I knew I had two quarterbacks going into camp that are very capable, but I wanted to see both of them before I made a long-term decision,’” Glazer continued in his report. “‘Well, I haven’t seen the other one. I want to see at least what I have from him, exhaust all options and then make a decision down the stretch.’ He said, ‘I’m not trying to win games. I’m trying to win a world title here. I gotta see what I got in both.’”

While Fields’ starts didn’t produce jaw-dropping numbers, he only threw one interception and did enough on offense — throwing for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns — for the Steelers to win games with their stout defense.

They didn’t top 20 points in a game this year until their Week 6 win against the Raiders when Fields ran for two touchdowns and running back Najee Harris added another. 

The Steelers will face the Giants next Monday before traveling to face the Commanders and then hosting the Ravens, and now, just like they did in training camp, a quarterback competition will serve as an underlying storyline to those matchups — even as they sat tied with the Ravens for the best AFC North record entering Sunday.