Tomlin Wants All NFL Teams to Open Facilities Together

The 2020 NFL season is certainly going to be one that is going to have a bigger story told about it in the history books. With little face-to-face time for each team to prepare, the one that gets the most could have a bigger advantage.
That is exactly what Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is trying to avoid.
“I prescribe to the approach of competitive fairness within our game, and that is everybody gets an opportunity,” said Tomlin. “Our game is extremely competitive.
“It’s one of the things that make football at this level so attractive to our fans. I’m committed to preserving and protecting that, and so all teams getting an opportunity to start on the same footing is a core element of that.”
Tomlin understands this will not be an easy decision, but it’s certainly possible to get everyone on the same page. After all, everyone wants the same thing – to get back on the field.
“There’s a couple of things that we’re committed to adhering to, and that’s the global approach of the National Football League in regard to football ops and how important competitive fairness is in our game,” Tomlin said. “We’ve all got to get started on the same footing in that regard. Then, also, respecting our local government and the guidelines they prescribe individually in terms of workplace safety.
“Those are the two key components for us. We’re in a wait-and-see mindset, and we’ll be ready to go when both boxes are checked.”
Ultimately, this decision is going to come down to the higher-ups in the NFL. Hopefully, the guys that played the game at one point in their careers make this easier for those to understand.
“The evaluation of their ability to absorb information, their retention of the information, is probably the most significant difference from working in this setting,” Tomlin said. “It’s much more difficult to get the feedback, to get a feel if somebody is receiving the information when you’re working remotely than it is when you’re dealing with somebody in an intimate space.
“It’s not about the material or the amount of material that we can give; it’s about the tools of evaluating what they learn, how they learn, and reinforcing what we give them is the most challenging element of the circumstances.”
Work To Do
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Steelers have +2400 odds to win the Super Bowl – those are the 10th-best odds, tying them with the Indianapolis Colts. It will be interesting to see if the NFL follows through on this rule and validates Tomlin’s concerns.
After all, it would be a huge advantage for any team to get a leg up on the other – especially in time-sensitive offseason.
We have already seen individuals trying to get a start on their own to training. Just last month, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady was asked to leave a Tampa-area park while working out there and the rest of the community under social-distancing guidelines. Of course, Brady was just asked to leave – all is well now.