Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t know if he’ll play in the Steelers’ first preseason game against the Lions on Friday, but he’d love to:

Regardless of who starts at quarterback, Tomlin said he will use his starters for eight to 12 plays against the Lions.

“If he says I’m not going to play, that’s his call,” Roethlisberger said after practice Thursday afternoon.

Asked if it mattered if he played with the second-team offense — something Tomlin suggested as “theoretically” possible — Roethlisberger said, “Nope.”

It sounds like we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see how this story ends.