Report: Steelers will not file complaint with NFL over headset interference
The Pittsburgh Steelers will not file a complaint with the NFL over the headset issues they experienced in their Thursday night loss to the Patriots, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Yahoo! Sports reported Friday that the Steelers would file a grievance not only over the radio interference they encountered, but also over officials not turning off headsets for both teams.
The NFL has an Equity Rule, which says if coach-to-coach communications malfunction completely for one team, the other team must shut down its system as well.
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On the Steelers’ website, the team alleged that whenever officials tried to enforce the rule, Pittsburgh’s headsets would begin working again. When officials left the Patriots sideline, the article said, the problems with their headsets resumed.
The NFL will investigate the matter, the league said Friday.
New England coach Bill Belichick called the claims that the Patriots interfered with the Steelers’ radio communication “kind of sad,” reports Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal.
During the first half of the game, the Steelers reported problems with their coaching headsets. They claimed the Patriots’ radio broadcast was bleeding into their transmissions, making communication between coaches difficult to hear.
Earlier this week, Sports Illustratedreported that other teams have had similar communication issues when visiting the Patriots in Foxboro.
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- Kenny Ducey
