The NFL will reportedly take a draft pick away from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2014 draft to punish the team for head coach Mike Tomlin’s sideline antics during the Thanksgiving night game against the Baltimore Ravens. Tomlin disrupted Ravens returner Jacoby Jones’s kickoff return when his foot went on the field of play.
Tomlin lurched back when Jones was behind him, and Jones eventually got caught from behind on the return when it seemed like he was on his way to the end zone.
NFL.com reported that though the “NFL did not stipulate the exact nature of the draft-pick penalty because in its mind this remains an open case,” the league will either completely take away a draft pick or move one to a lower round.
The NFL already fined Tomlin, who apologized for his actions, $100,000. Tomlin said he was looking at the kickoff on the JumboTron video screen and lost track of where he was on the sidelines.
“Because the conduct affected a play on the field, a modification or forfeiture of draft choices will be considered after the final order of the 2014 draft has been determined,” the NFL recently said in a statement when announcing Tomlin’s fine.
The NFL may be penalizing Tomlin and the Steelers in a harsher manner because Tomlin is a member of the league’s competition committee.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.