Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spoke frankly about his confidence—or lack thereof—in the NFL's chances to successfully stage a 2020 football season as the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge throughout the country.
“I don’t know if I am extremely confident,” Tomlin told Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. “I respect the challenges these circumstances has presented to other leagues, some of which we are witnessing. I think we are all proceeding with caution and working extremely hard not to become part of that.”
Tomlin acknowledges that leading medical professionals “have led the charge for us globally in the NFL, and we are working out tails off to adhere” to the circumstances caused by the virus.
Still, the Super Bowl-winning coach said that following the advice of medical leaders has to be “coupled with personal decision-making that needs to be exhibited continually by our guys throughout the course of this.”
The Steelers are one of three teams to have zero players opt-out of the 2020 season over Covid-19 concerns. However, Tomlin still seems to be sending a message to the rest of the league to follow precautions and take the virus as seriously as possible as training camps ramp up. On Thursday, the NFLPA reported 56 positive tests since players started reporting to camp last week.
With 38-year old quarterback Ben Roethlisberger seemingly back to full strength, Pittsburgh will be looking to bounce back from a rocky 8-8 campaign in 2019.
As it stands, Tomlin's group is slated to kick off their 2020 season on Sept. 14 against the New York Giants.
Follow Us
Subscribe
