Steelers Not Expecting COVID Opt-Outs
PITTSBURGH -- NFL players have until 4 p.m. EST today to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns. So far, the league has seen 60 players choose to sit for a year.
The Steelers haven't had any players chose the opt-out, and head coach Mike Tomlin doesn't see any signs of his players wanting to do so before the deadline.
"I acknowledge that today is the opt-out day," Tomlin told media on a Zoom call. "I don't have any knowledge of anybody on our team that has any strong considerations in that way. If that were the case, that is a very individual decision, one that we all would understand and respect and adjust."
Tomlin said last week that he would respect any player who decides to leave for personal reasons.
Those are very individual decisions, and we're very respectful of those," Tomlin said. "If and when those things come up, we'll deal with them appropriately."
The Steelers head coach also gave his opinion on the challenges the NFL will face moving forward due to the virus. The MLB has been under a close eye due to spikes in positive COVID-19 tests.
So far, the league has seen only 56 players test positive, 2% of the 2,600 tests they've distributed.
"I don't know that I'm extremely confident," Tomlin said on the chances the NFL keeps the spread under control. "I respect the challenges that this circumstance has presented to other leagues. Some of which we're witnessing. I think we're all proceeding with caution and working extremely hard not to become part of that. We got some people in leadership positions, Dr. Sills and other medical professionals that have led the charge for us globally in the NFL, and we're working our tails off to adhere to it and hoping that that is enough, coupled with personal decision making that needs to be exhibited continually by our guys throughout the course of this."
The team is continuing to abide by the NFL's guidelines for social distancing. The Steelers have placed four players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but are taking precautions to ensure that number doesn't grow.
A challenge that will come throughout the season, Tomlin is using the NFL's ramp-up period to adjust accordingly.
"We're doing different things and we're taking this conditioning period to try different things, because we're all going into an environment now where you got some unusual considerations," said Tomlin. "For example, today in my morning team meeting, I met with the veteran players in person and I had all assistants and rookies view that team meeting remotely, from other parts of the building via either handheld device ... or we had in-house televisions and monitors that they can tune in on the channel anywhere in the building, and participate in that meeting. That's just part of normal procedure for us in 2020. We're not going to run away from that. We're going to try different things to become familiar with all the technology at our disposal in an effort to have the best learning and teaching environment."
AllSteelers staff writer, Donnie Druin, will continue to provide updates on Steelers opt-outs.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
