Even though Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that a decision had been made about the starting quarterback for Week 7 between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, he did not disclose who it was.
Tomlin announced on Friday that they had chosen a starter, but he did not reveal the name. This has upset some fans.
“Good thing Tomlin forced the Jets to prepare for Justin Fields all week,” one fan commented on X. “I bet NY is in a state of panic. Ripping up their game plans. And cramming for Russell Wilson right now. More proof that Tomlin is a brilliant coach.”
“Tomlin’s favorite pastime is outsmarting himself,” another fan wrote. “He has this need to try to do ‘clever’ things that waste his energy and usually backfire. This is one of many.”
“Not that Tomlin’s not a great coach, but it’s not because of him hiding his cards on this,” another fan added.
The truth is, Tomlin’s strategy here doesn’t really matter. Even though he didn’t tell the public, the players already knew what was going to happen, and that’s what truly counts.
You can see this in wide receiver George Pickens’ comments on Friday when he accidentally revealed that Wilson would indeed be starting. Clearly, the players were aware of the situation.
“Yeah, getting on the same page (with Wilson after practice, throwing),” Pickens said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. “More than usual, because this is his first start.”
Additionally, it was reported earlier in the week that Wilson was likely to start, so all signs had been pointing toward the veteran quarterback for days.
Is Tomlin’s secrecy unnecessary? Sure, but it doesn’t harm the Steelers or their fans at all. You can debate Tomlin’s decision to go with Wilson instead of Fields, but getting upset about his secretive approach isn’t worth it, especially when the decision seemed so obvious.
