Steelers’ Mike Tomlin defends decision to allow Vance McDonald to travel last week

Four Pittsburgh Steelers, including franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, are unable to practice this week in preparation for a division game. And, potentially, it’s possible the situation could have been avoided.

With the benefit of hindsight, that’s how it appears with the Steelers’ decision to allow Vance McDonald to travel with the team and play against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, 48 hours after sitting out practice because of illness. A coronavirus test administered on McDonald on Sunday came back positive.

Coach Mike Tomlin defended the decision during his weekly video conference Tuesday, saying the organization was simply following guidance put forth by the NFL.

“You know, those aren’t decisions that are made by us,” Tomlin said. “It’s really cut and dry. It’s all in the procedural policy of covid established in New York (league offices) by the NFL. As long as he is negative and not showing signs of covid, he’s able to travel, and (McDonald) was and we did.”

Whatever symptoms McDonald had Friday have not been reported, or if he was still experiencing them Saturday when the team left for Dallas. McDonald played 20 offensive snaps in a 24-19 victory against the Cowboys.

Tomlin said McDonald’s positive test was not known until late Sunday night or early the next morning.

McDonald will not play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals and cannot rejoin his teammates until, at the earliest, the middle of next week. Roethlisberger and Vince Williams were among four Steelers players placed on the reserve/covid-19 list Tuesday. They cannot rejoin their teammates until Saturday at the earliest, meaning they will have no practices in advance of Sunday’s game.

Roethlisberger and the other three were deemed “high-risk” contacts of McDonald. It’s possible, and perhaps even likely, those players would not have been designated had McDonald not traveled with the team.

If the Steelers have any angst with the league over this seeming failure with the coronavirus protocols, Tomlin isn’t expressing it.

“We don’t overanalyze it that way,” Tomlin said. “We utilize all the mechanisms at our disposal to minimize the potential of interaction. We’re all masked up. We’re all exercising good personal hygiene and social distancing. We’re doing all the things that we are asked. That’s our mindset regarding it.”

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