PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wouldn’t even mention Vance McDonald by name, but said it was a simple decision for them. Even though McDonald missed practice on Friday due to illness, by the time the plane left for Dallas on Saturday, he wasn’t feeling sick or showing symptoms.
“Those aren’t decisions that are made by us, it’s really cut and dry,” Tomlin said on Tuesday. “It’s all in procedural policy of COVID established in New York by the NFL. As long as he is negative and not showing signs of COVID he is able to travel. And he was and we did.”
“We don’t overanalyze it in that way. We utilize all the mechanisms at our disposal to minimize the potential of interaction.”
Tomlin said McDonald was tested on Sunday before the game and the result of that test was discovered on Monday.
When asked about the league speeding up results so you know if players are good to go before they hit the field, Tomlin said.
“I’m not in New York. I don’t know about developing policy and things of that nature. I’m just working my tail off here in Pittsburgh to keep this group up and in compliance.”
Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Williams, Jaylen Samuels and Jerald Hawkins are all home for the week because they came in contact with McDonald. They know because Tomlin said they wear GPS devices for such circumstances.
Tomlin said they were masked up on the plane and at the facility and exercise good personal hygiene and social distancing.
All meetings are virtual, whether unit or individual. Players will come in, walk through and practice and post-practice meetings will be remote. Weight training and treatment this week will be done in a rotational basis to isolate COVID spreading.
“The guys have done an awesome job in terms of their attitude regarding it and working to be within the protocol,” Tomlin said. “I can’t say enough about that. I think our attitudes will define our levels of success in terms of dealing with this. That’s something that we have talked openly about all season.”
As long as their tests come back negative, Tomlin believes Roethlisberger, Williams, Samuels and Hawkins will be available to play. It may even have a side benefit of giving rest to those players.
As to whether or not he thinks they will play?
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Tomlin said.