On a day in which several professional sports leagues decided to postpone playoff games; and on a day in which more than a handful of NFL teams canceled practice—the Pittsburgh Steelers went ahead with their scheduled practice.
Afterwards head coach Mike Tomlin said: “We didn’t give any real consideration to not practicing today,” though Mark Kaboly of The Athletic notes that Ben Roethlisberger’s scheduled Zoom call was delayed by an hour this morning, “which prompted speculation that long discussions were being had about practicing or not.”
But according to Kaboly, Tomlin said the team was delayed by league-scheduled presentations concerning gambling and domestic violence—and by “social justice conversations during a meeting in the morning.”
Tomlin went on to tell the media: “Like I’ve mentioned to you guys several times through the course of this, we desire to have an impact more so than statements. We want to be proactive in our behavior and our thoughts. We had continued conversations not necessarily in reaction to the most recent events that have transpired.”
Pittsburgh’s head coach went on to re-emphasize that he has the backs of his players, if you will.
“I continue to appreciate the hearts and spirit of our players in terms of wanting to participate and engage in a positive way and express themselves. That is their right,” he continued. “Like I’ve said many times, they will continue to be supported by us as long as their efforts are done thoughtfully and with class. We want to move forward thoughtfully with everything we do.”
As for Thursday’s practice, the aforementioned Kaboly had several interesting insights about what transpired.
Free Agent WR Ray-Ray McCloud
For one, Kaboly said: “It’s not often you see a live kickoff and kickoff coverage period in training camp. I had never witnessed it in my 17 years of covering the team until Thursday.”
For what it’s worth, recent free agent acquisition Ray-Ray McCloud shined as a kickoff returner, taking a kickoff and racing 90 yards for a touchdown.
Never mind that McCloud “continues to make plays that catch the eyes of the coaching staff,” said Kaboly, noting that McCloud is getting plenty of reps with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and Ryan Switzer either out or limited by injuries.
“He did drop a pass [Thursday],” offered Kaboly. “But he made his share of catches, including a nice 20-yard pass across the middle from Mason Rudolph, who is having a much better camp this year than he did last year.”
New Long Snapper Liam McCullough
As for new long snapper Liam McCullough—one of two free agents signed on Thursday—he worked with both of the team’s punters, “and every snap was perfect,” said Kaboly. “McCullough is much smaller than Kim Canaday, which might be an issue in punt returns if it ever gets to that point, but he sure can fling it.”
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Steelers’ Mike Tomlin: We Desire ‘Impact, More So Than Statements’