Mike Tomlin: Only fair to open NFL facilities at same time

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he believes the "day is coming" when NFL teams can resume face-to-face instruction, but he doesn't know when that day will be.

And, in the spirit of "competitive fairness," he believes all facilities should reopen at the same time, even as some states' loosening of restrictions could theoretically allow certain facilities to open earlier than others.

"I prescribe to the approach of competitive fairness within our game, and that is everybody gets an opportunity," Tomlin said in a conference call with reporters Saturday. "Our game is extremely competitive. It's one of the things that make football at this level so attractive to our fans. I'm committed to preserving and protecting that and so all teams getting an opportunity to start on the same footing is a core element of that."

The NFL recently sent a memo to all 32 teams that laid out protocols for the gradual reopening of team facilities. The league wants teams to be ready to implement the first phase of that plan by May 15.

In the memo obtained by ESPN, there was no mention of the NFL policy that previously stipulated no facilities may reopen unless all 32 facilities were eligible to do so.

"There's a couple of things that we're committed to adhering to, and that's the global approach of the National Football League in regards to football ops and how important competitive fairness is in our game," Tomlin said. "We all got to get started on the same footing in that regard. Then, also, respecting our local government and the guidelines they prescribe individually in terms of workplace safety.

"Those are the two key components for us. We're in a wait-and-see mindset and we'll be ready to go when both boxes are checked."

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https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29153862

definitely fair. which is exactly why im pessimistic about this football season even though im quite optimistic about our actual team. If anyone thinks teams in New York are going to be readily medically cleared for preparations anywhere near the same time as somewhere like Wisconsin/Missouri were living in a pipe dream.

this sport is just not built to survive these restrictions. im a huge mma fan and even the 1 vs 1 nature of the sport has made it difficult to finally get UFC 249 going tonight. hell, even that got dangerously close to cancellation because a fighter and 2 of his cornermen tested positive. a 1 vs 1 sport barely got it done and were supposed to believe 53 man rosters with dozens of coaches/health professionals/referees/camera crews at a bare minimum are going to be cleared by governors? im glad ill at least have one sport to watch

There’s no way they could open anytime soon. Philadelphia won’t be able to open for at minimum 4 more weeks and likely much longer...