Mike Tomlin, like all NFL coaches, is trying to navigate through an extremely unusual offseason amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Tomlin, who has been the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach since 2007, has been conducting virtual meetings with his players throughout the offseason with the assumption that the team will be able to come together for training camp late next month. On Tuesday, during a virtual meeting with the media, Tomlin acknowledged that two Steelers players tested positive for COVID-19 in the spring, according to NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala. Tomlin also said that neither player was in the facility and that both players are currently in good health and are preparing for the upcoming season.
While he is remaining optimistic that there will the regular season will start on time, Tomlin admitted that there is some angst to not being able to practice the way his team usually does during the offseason. Tomlin was asked whether or not he believes that fans will be in attendance when the Steelers kick off the regular season.
"I have no idea about whether we will have fans or not, or the number of fans," he said, via Teresa Valley of the team's official website. "I haven't been a part of that discussion. How it relates to ball is going to be pretty significant. It's going to be more like a practice atmosphere."
Due to the pandemic, the Steelers, for the first time in over 50 years, will not head to St. Vincent College in Latrobe for training camp. Instead, the team will hold training camp at Heinz Field, the site of their home games since 2001. While he is worried about how the field will hold up, Tomlin offered another reason why he will miss holding camp at St. Vincent this summer.
"I'm a training camp lover," said Tomlin, who said that he does feel that Heinz Field will serve as a good venue for the Steelers this summer.
Throughout the team's virtual meetings, Tomlin has stressed for his players to be in the best shape possible so that they can give themselves the best chance to perform when training camp begins. When it comes to the health of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Tomlin said that he is comfortable with the reports he has received as it relates to Big Ben's ongoing recovery from last September's shoulder surgery.
"The medical experts are comfortable with where he is in the rehabilitation process," Tomlin said, "and his trajectory for the 2020 season."
Tomlin also provided some current position updates. Matt Feiler will open camp as the team's starting left guard following the offseason retirement of Ramon Foster. Zach Banner and Chukwuma Okorafor will compete to replace Feiler as the team's starting right tackle. Tyson Alualu will enter camp as the team's starting nose tackle. That position became open after Javon Hargrave, a third-round pick in the 2016 draft, signed with the Eagles during free agency.
