News that the NFL would force teams to forfeit games if one has a covid outbreak among its unvaccinated players sent ripples across league circles and on social media.
But on the day Pittsburgh Steelers training camp opened, it was met with a figurative shrug.
The Steelers are among the NFL teams with the highest vaccination rates among its players. As of a week ago, the number was well north of 85%.
“It’s a nonissue for us, thankfully, due to the efforts and willingness of our guys,” coach Mike Tomlin said after the first practice of camp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “And so we’re focused on the football.”
That the Steelers are so inoculated as a team greatly decreases the chances of a coronavirus breakout among Steelers players. In 2021, that could be a competitive advantage.
In a memo NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent to teams Thursday, it was decreed that — unlike last season — teams that cannot field a team because of too many positive covid tests among unvaccinated players could lead to a forfeit.
Also, neither team’s players would get paid under such a circumstance.
When the Associated Press relayed team vaccination rates last week, the Steelers were one of the four most-vaccinated teams. Four teams were under 50%.
“We just checked that box,” Tomlin said of his team getting its shots. “We really kind of moved on, to be honest with you. And that’s why we wanted to be so proactive about addressing it — so we are not spending a whole bunch of time thinking or talking about it.”
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