Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has gone out of his way to avoid making any declarations about who the team’s starting quarterback is, repeatedly calling it a “hypothetical” while Russell Wilson — who earned the gig coming out of training camp — slowly recovers from a calf injury suffered a couple of days before the season opener.

Justin Fields paused, trying to think of the right words. When they didn’t come, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback shrugged his shoulders.