Mike Tomlin prepared for Steelers players taking a knee during national anthem

If Pittsburgh Steelers players want to kneel during the national anthem this season as a protest against police brutality and social injustice, they have the blessing of coach Mike Tomlin.

Speaking to the media Tuesday for the first time since the death of George Floyd at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers last month sparked nationwide protests, Tomlin said he has spent “a lot of group time” talking with his players about how to use their platform to address social injustice against African-Americans.

That includes any plans for Steelers players to kneel during the anthem, the controversial movement that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began four years ago.

“It’s our intentions to support those guys in any statement or actions that they take as long as it is done thoughtfully, with class — and that includes kneeling,” Tomlin said. “Those are my feelings, and those are the feelings of us as an organization.”

No Steelers player took a knee during the national anthem in 2017 when President Donald Trump criticized such actions. The Steelers’ attempt to stay out of the spotlight before a Week 3 game in Chicago backfired, however, when left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a former Army Ranger, was isolated from teammates outside the tunnel leading to Soldier Field.

Tomlin, who wanted his players to take a unified stance, and several of his assistant coaches stood on the sideline that day during the playing of the anthem. Tomlin said the situation is different this time because the Black Lives Matter protests have taken place during the offseason.

“The amount of time that you have to give to non-football things is different,” he said. “The timeliness of this from an offseason perspective allowed us to really unearth some discussions and take our time and not be concerned about time as a factor as it related to those discussions (in 2017).”

Tomlin is on board if players take varying approaches to protesting police brutality.

“Our position is simple,” he said. “We’re going to support our players and their willingness to partake in this, whether it’s statement or actions. I’ve stated in the past that statements are good, but impact is better, particularly long-term impact.”

John Mitchell, the team’s assistant head coach who no longer has any on-field responsibilities, is working with Steelers community relations director Blayre Holmes to provide input for players seeking to address social injustice issues. Mitchell was the first African-American to play at Alabama under Bear Bryant.

“(We want) to make sure their intended statements or actions are interpreted in the correct way and represent their legitimate thoughts and feelings,” Tomlin said. “That is something we’ve been really transparent about. We’ve talked openly with those guys about a lot of things they say and do are going to be weaponized one way or the other for political reasons. So we ask them to pause and be really thoughtful about the things they say and do with that understanding.”