Mike Tomlin Had Interesting Point About Veteran QBs Ahead of Facing Carson Wentz

Pittsburgh's coach recalled a story from last year while dissecting the Vikings' QB situation.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stands on the field before a game against the Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

As coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers prepare for their clash against the Vikings in Ireland this weekend, Pittsburgh's defense is putting together a game plan for veteran quarterback Carson Wentz.

Wentz is filling in for J.J. McCarthy, the former first-round pick and franchise quarterback hopeful who is dealing with an ankle injury. Wentz did so admirably in Week 3, throwing for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-20 passing during Minnesota's 48-10 win over the Bengals.

It was a needed win for the Vikings, who struggled through the first two weeks of the season and looked unorganized and sloppy with the inexperienced McCarthy at the helm. Although Minnesota's 2025 season is still all about finding out what it has in McCarthy, Tomlin doesn't see the downside of Wentz taking over a for a few games.

In fact, the situation reminded himself of the Steelers' 27-24 loss to the Colts last season when a veteran backup steered Indianapolis to a win after taking over for a young quarterback.

"I don't neccessarily view it as a negative thing for the Minnesota Vikings, at least in the short term that Carson is playing for them. We were in a similar situation a year ago, we were playing in Indianapolis," Tomlin said Wednesday. "I commented to the guys that, you know, 'Keep [Anthony] Richardson upright. Don't put [Joe] Flacco in the game.' Flacco ended up in the game. And I think that's oftentimes what you can run into when you run into a veteran guy—at least from a short-term perspective. We've got a lot of respect for Carson and his journey, his experience and what he's capable of providing."

In that aforementioned game, Richardson—the No. 4 pick of the 2023 draft—suffered a couple of injuries in the first quarter and was later ruled out with a hip injury. Flacco took over under center with a 7-0 lead and ended up throwing for 168 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a three-point win.

It appears Tomlin has learned his lesson—and probably wouldn't have been too disappointed to see the talented-yet-green McCarthy lead the Vikings' huddle in Dublin.

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