Mike Tomlin 'respectful' of any Steelers player who decides to opt out of 2020 season

As NFL training camps entered the third day of covid-19 testing Thursday, 30 players across the league already have decided to opt out of the 2020 season because of medical concerns.

That includes six members of the New England Patriots, two starters from the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and two players from AFC North counterparts Cleveland and Baltimore.

Although two of Mike Tomlin’s young players are on the reserve/covid-19 list, he isn’t aware of any Pittsburgh Steelers players preparing to sit out the season.

Saying he hadn’t “spent a lot of time trying to anticipate” whether any of his players might opt out, Tomlin told reporters Thursday he’ll be prepared in case it happens.

“Those are very individual decisions, and we’re very respectful of those,” Tomlin said in a video conference call. “If and when those things come up, we’ll deal with them appropriately.”

If a player decided to opt out of the 2020 season, his contract will toll. If he earned a “credited season” in 2019 or was drafted in 2020, he will earn $150,000 toward a future salary. A player deemed to be in a “high-risk” medical category will receive $350,000 that is not an advance on future earnings. He also will receive an accrued season toward free agency.

In an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, the NFL and its union agreed to a set of guidelines that prohibit what are deemed “reckless activities.” Players cannot attend bars or nightclubs or host or attend indoor parties or concerts with more than 15 people present. The guidelines even extend to church services that exceed 25% capacity.

Players violating the covid-19 rules are subject to fines and will not be paid for any games missed if they test positive for the virus. Such activity also could void guaranteed portions of a player’s contract.

Tomlin intends to hammer those points across to his players as they trickle into Heinz Field for the start of training camp.

“You use catch phrases, and you guys know I like catch phrases,” he said. “What you’re talking about is conduct that is detrimental. That’s a term that is used often in our business and appropriately so. Because in this covid environment, if you’re not exercising discretion and being thoughtful about how you move, that conduct is detrimental to your cause and to ours collectively. That is the message I’m delivering to those guys.”

The last thing Tomlin wants is to see the 2020 season influenced negatively by a player carelessly contracting the virus and potentially spreading it to others on the roster.

“There has been a lot of work to position ourselves to be where we are right now,” Tomlin said. “It’s one fail, all fail in this environment. We’re going to continue to package the messaging that way and be very transparent.”

Per newly adopted NFL guidelines established because the pandemic eliminated all offseason workouts, players will have a week of strength and conditioning work before they have five days of unpadded practices.

Players won’t don pads until Aug. 17, and 14 padded practices are permitted until the season opener, which is Sept. 14 at the New York Giants. No preseason games will be played.

“I’ve been in the league 20 years, and I’ve never been in a situation like this without the opportunity to have preseason games,” Tomlin said. “I feel I have an understanding of the issues of what is required and the process needed to take our guys through in order to be ready, but all of us collectively are going to be feeling our way out there.”