PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said simply they were given a mandate by the league that they will play Sunday at 1 at the Titans even after Tennessee closed their practice facility until Saturday due to three players and five staffers testing positive for COVID-19.
"We've talked openly throughout the process that 2020 would have it's challenges," Tomlin said Tuesday evening. "We have to be light on our feet and ready to adjust and have a hardcore plan. We are ready to live that out."
Tomlin said they were not contacted by the league, nor were they asked for input in the decision to play Sunday. Tomlin also knows that could change and the NFL may alter the date of the game.
The Steelers head coach said they just are trying to control what they can.
Asked about the fairness of this situation, as the Steelers could practice normally while the Titans would have no in-person contact until Saturday and then have to play the next day.
"Once we left the station and we got all teams into a training camp like setting, we as a collective, meaning the National Football League, acknowledged that this COVID environment could be challenging to that," Tomlin said. "We all proceeded with that understanding."
While he hadn't talked to his players, Tomlin said as a group the Steelers don't fear playing against a team that had several coronavirus positive cases, saying they will trust the medical professionals.
"We understand the uncertainty but we have to have a high level of professionalism and singular focus in spite of that," Tomlin said. "That has been the intention of our staff today and we will sell that to our players tomorrow."
