Steelers' Mike Tomlin's Controversial Rumored History Of Misleading Players Could Have Finally Caught Up To Him: 'Players Talk'

When most Pittsburgh Steelers fans realized they'd lost out on signing quarterback Justin Fields, they began looking for someone to blame. They blamed owner Art Rooney II for being too cheap to match or beat the two-year, $40 million contract the New York Jets offered him. They blamed Head Coach Mike Tomlin for possibly not guaranteeing him the starting job. However, more than anything, they blamed Tomlin for benching him in the first place, causing a breach of trust between player and coach. 

Even Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports tweeted that if Fields were to remain in Pittsburgh, he would have to "get past sting/distrust" from last season. When the Steelers made the trade for Fields, he was brought in to backup Russell Wilson, whom Pittsburgh had already signed. While there was talk that Fields would get the opportunity to compete, Tomlin maintained that Wilson had "pole position," and most insiders felt that Fields had a steep hill to climb to become the starter. 

That's why Fields really lucked out when Wilson was injured before training camp even began. He suffered a calf injury that kept him out until Week 7. While Fields performed admirably enough, getting the team off to a 4-2 start, Tomlin indicated that the job was still Wilson's. As Wilson's return drew near, rumors circulated that the team was divided, and many wanted to keep Fields as the starter. However, Tomlin went with the former Super Bowl winner, and now that Fields is headed to the Jets, many think it is because the Steelers tend to deceive players. 

Ray Fittipaldo from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was asked about this in his recent chat column. The fan who wrote in said that they have said for years that Tomlin misleads players as it pertains to their usage, and this causes them to go elsewhere. The fan wanted to know if the loss of Fields signals that practice is catching up with him. 

"Could be," said Fittipaldo in response to Tomlin misleading players. "Players talk. And like Fields, sometimes experience it for themselves."

While many agreed that Fields should have retained that starting job as Wilson prepared for his first game in black and gold, they quickly changed their tune. Wilson came in on fire. He played better than Fields initially, even winning an unheard-of shootout against Joe Burrow. The offense was moving down the field better and scoring more points. At least through week 14, the team was sitting at 10-3. People proclaimed that Tomlin should win NFL Coach of the Year and that Wilson should be eligible for NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Then, the bottom fell out. 

To be fair, Wilson was hardly the worst player on the team during the Steelers' five-game losing streak to end the season. There were numerous issues, including several on the NFL's highest-paid defense. The losses led to people changing their minds about the team's future. While Fields didn't blow anyone's mind away completely, he is at least younger and more athletic than Wilson. Now that the Steelers missed out on Fields, it raises the question of whether players will feel Tomlin wasn't honest.  

Steelers' Mike Tomlin Has Been Accused Of This Before

Players typically sing Tomlin's praises. They applaud him for his honesty and how he builds up the team culture. He is often voted the coach players want to play for the most. Melvin Ingram, who was with the Steelers for a single season, felt that Tomlin had given him some false promises. 

When Ben Roethlisberger was nearing the end of his career, the team strung him along, according to Kinkhabwala. There was no succession plan for the former Super Bowl winner, and Roethlisberger had to take a pay cut to help bail out his team.