Tim Benz: Steelers lineman Stefen Wisniewski deserves praise for his team-first approach

If new Steelers guard Stefen Wisniewski misses any time during training camp with an undisclosed “upper body injury,” I’m going to assume it’s a badly bitten tongue.

Because for a guy who has a right to complain, he sure isn’t saying anything.

The Penn State and Central Catholic alum signed with the Steelers this spring, expecting he’d have a chance to compete for Ramon Foster’s vacant left guard job.

“I’ve been a starter most of my career, so I wanted to go somewhere where I’d have a good shot to compete to be a starter,” Wisniewski said back in March. “When Ramon retired, I knew that would be an open job. That was exciting. But it was more exciting because it’s a starting job for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Where I grew up, for my hometown team.”

That chance to compete never really happened, though. By late June, with barely any time to be seen by his new team thanks to coronavirus-restricted offseason workouts, head coach Mike Tomlin declared that right tackle Matt Feiler would move to left guard. Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner would battle for the starting job at Feiler’s old spot.

So Wisniewski’s chance to fill the left guard opening never even materialized.

Tomlin blamed a lack of offseason reps and teaching opportunities for new players as a reason why he wanted to make the move that he did.

“You’ve got to give the benefit of the doubt to the people that have been here at least as a basis to begin,” Tomlin said at the time. “Knowing the process is going to be an abbreviated one. Those that have experience and have been a part of this thing probably are going to have a leg up.

“Those young tackles … have been here and have played. A combination of those guys provides the most experience for us.”

That’s a sentiment offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett reiterated last week.

I’d argue that Wisniewski’s decade of NFL tenure is just as translatable to “experience” as what Banner or Okorafor bring, if you want to compare actual playing time versus playbook knowledge.

Plus it’s pretty clear that the Steelers were bracing themselves for the prospect of a position switch for Feiler well in advance of training camp. Feiler talked about adding a few pounds. And fellow guard David DeCastro mentioned noticing a slight change to his build as well.

When exactly Feiler was given that news as opposed to Wisniewski isn’t clear. But if Wisniewski is harboring any sort of angst about being sold a false bill of goods in terms of competing for Foster’s job, he’s done a good job of hiding it.

“The coaches have had to make some tough decisions, make them more quickly than they would because of the circumstances,” Wisniewski said Friday. “I understand that. I get that. I’m not bitter. I don’t hold any grudges.”

During that Zoom interview with Pittsburgh reporters, Wisniewski said he is going to “embrace” the role B.J. Finney held in Pittsburgh before departing for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. That job was to be the backup at both guard spots and center.

That’s a gig the Steelers seem to favor more than other franchises do. To the point that this organization went out of its way to keep Finney to the tune of $3 million a year ago to remain behind Foster.

So if Wisniewski performs the job well when given the snaps, he’s got a good chance of playing out that second year of the deal in his hometown, even if rookie guard Kevin Dotson shows promise.

And Wisniewski has already proven valuable in his new capacity in training camp. Center Maurkice Pouncey missed a lot of time to handle the passing of his grandmother. And right guard DeCastro has had an undisclosed injury that nagged him at the start of practices at Heinz Field. Then he left practice Friday night.

Maybe Wisniewski will get an opportunity to show his skills at right guard early in the season if DeCastro’s injury extends. It wouldn’t be a conventional path to playing in his hometown that Wisniewski thought he’d get.

But he’ll take it.

“I’m capable (of starting), but I have been a backup as well,” Wisniewski said. “I’m going to come to work every day with a great attitude. No matter what my role is. If I’m a backup, I’m going to be working hard every day so I am ready to go — if and when someone gets hurt.”

Or, if Feiler has to move back to tackle if Okorafor and Banner can’t cut it.

Regardless, it’s not a perfect situation for Wisniewski, as he has to sit and wait for his playing time to be defined. And the situation did appear to be perfect initially. A Pittsburgh kid. Coming home to play for the Steelers. With a starting job open that he could fill.

Wisniewski could’ve groused about it.

He hasn’t. Not yet anyway. If he does eventually, I wouldn’t blame him.

As circumstances go, however, he may not need to in the long run.