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According to a new report in Pro Football Talk, former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is one of three former NFL players who will be part of an outside advisory committee that will assist Commissioner Roger Goodell on issues related to COVID-19. The other two former players on the eight-member committee are former Washington and Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey and former Rams and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Isaac Bruce.
The NFL decided to compile a committee of former executives, coaches and players in hopes of avoiding the conflicts of interest that apply to members of the Competition Committee, who are affiliated with teams that will be affected by the decisions the Commissioner may have to make.
The other five members of the committee reportedly are: former NFL general managers Charley Casserly, Bill Polian and Rick Smith, and former NFL head coaches Tom Coughlin and Marvin Lewis.
Among the issues that the committee could be called on to discuss are: Whether games should proceed if and when teams are impacted by COVID-19; and determining playoff seeding if some teams play fewer than 16 games as a result of the pandemic.
Steelers Announce the Signing of WR Ray-Ray McCloud
In other news, this morning the Steelers formally announced the signing of former Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, whose NFL experience is detailed here.
To make room for McCloud on the roster the Steelers released wide receiver Saeed Blacknall, who played his college football at Penn State. Blacknall, who played in the XFL this spring, has the kind of physical traits that NFL teams are looking for from a wide receiver, but he hasn’t been able to translate his physical ability into on-field production.
McCloud is expected to compete for a job as the Steelers’ sixth wide receiver. The top 5 wide receivers—led by fourth-year veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster—are already well established, with Diontae Johnson, James Washington, Ryan Switzer and rookie second-round pick Chase Claypool rounding on the group.
Steelers Saturday at Heinz Field
Today the Steelers also announced that Saturday’s scheduled padded practice at Heinz Field will take place in the evening, as compared to the normal afternoon practice routine.
It’s this year’s equivalent of the annual Friday Night Under the Lights practice that the Steelers hold every year in Latrobe, where the Steelers typically hold training camp.
Steelers Saturday is scheduled for August 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. and will be broadcast in Pittsburgh on KDKA-TV and WDVE-FM. For fans outside of Pittsburgh, the practice will be streamed on Steelers Nation Radio, which is also available on the Steelers mobile app.
Last year, thousands of Steelers fans from around the country flocked to Latrobe to get an early glimpse of their team. According to organizers, fans representing 37 states attended last year’s Steelers Fest.
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Troy Polamalu to Advise NFL Commissioner: Report