The Pittsburgh Steelers have made headlines on multiple occasions during training camp for all the wrong reasons.
A few big fights occurred at Steelers practice in just the first few weeks, with the conflicts taking place on back-to-back days. While a competitive, tough nature is important for every team, these fights cannot be allowed to get out of control.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked if he approves of the fighting during a recent interview on the "Up & Adams" show with Kay Adams.
"Absolutely not. I understand we need tough guys in this business, but we're not putting together an MMA team," Tomlin said with a straight face. "It doesn't help us win games, we get penalized, kicked out of games. So when they do occur out here, I understand it, while at the same time, it's a growth opportunity. We've got to eliminate that from our competitive spirit as we step into stadiums."
#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on if he approves of training camp fights... 👀🔊
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 3, 2024
"Absolutely not... we're not putting together an MMA team." @CoachTomlin @steelers @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/3qpEaWiMAn
The biggest fight of camp occurred when linebacker Elandon Roberts hit quarterback Justin Fields, knocking him to the ground. The offense didn't take kindly to the hit and went on to protect its quarterback.
“Nobody’s gonna hit our quarterback, cheap shot, and get away with it," Herbig said, per Aaron Becker of Yardbarker. "It’s a big emphasis for us, a big emphasis for our unit. It’s nothing personal, we just protect our quarterback.”
Tomlin, who is the longest-tenured coach in the NFL, responded to the problems in a professional manner, and thankfully they were squashed quickly when the players got together after practice to bury the hatchet.
Training camp is the perfect opportunity to grow chemistry, ensuring the entire roster is on the same page by Week 1. Fights like the one that happened off the Fields hit show both he and Russell Wilson that the offense has their backs, something that will only strengthen their bonds with the team.
