Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin and others members of the organization tested positive for COVID-19 last week, sources told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Post-Gazette reported last week Steelers coaches and other members of the organization were sent home last Wednesday after some positive cases among members of the organization surfaced.
Tomlin said Monday that he’s experienced “minimal symptoms” and remains in “good health.” The 48-year-old Tomlin did not disclose when he tested positive for the novel coronavirus and expects to be back in the office “soon.” He will continue to work virtually until he is cleared to go back to work in-person.
Since the end of the season, the coaches and some scouts had returned to work, but this COVID outbreak won’t affect day-to-day business. The Steelers are used to working with strict COVID protocols after the 2020 season.
For much of last season, the Steelers and the rest of the NFL worked in an intensive protocol that restricted access to team facilities. For the second half of last season the only time the players and coaches were inside the facility was for practice, and their time there was limited. Meetings between coaches and players were done via Zoom and scouts worked from home for most of the year.
The most pressing matters the Steelers are facing at the moment are working through player contracts, the upcoming free agency period and the draft. Most players on the offseason roster have scattered across the country to train for next season. The Steelers were expected to meet with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last week to discuss his future, but that meeting did not take place as scheduled.
CAM NEWTON: A teenager apologized early Monday for heckling Cam Newton at a youth football tournament after video of the incident went viral, drawing condemnation from current and former NFL players and prompting Newton to take the high road with a social media post that emphasized his commitment to helping young athletes.
The incident reportedly occurred Saturday at the NFA7V7 East Regional, staged in Myrtle Beach, South Caroilina. Newton was on a sideline with some of his players as a player for another team yelled at the New England Patriots quarterback that he was “a free agent.” When Newton, who has earned more than $120 million just in NFL salaries, retorted, “I’m rich,” the youngster shot back, “You’re about to be poor!”
Newton, 31, then began to ask if he could speak to the boy’s father. In a lengthy tweet directed to Newton and media outlets and posted shortly after midnight Monday, the youngster apologized saying the situation had gotten out of hand.
“First & foremost, I want to express my deepest apologies to Cam Newton, my entire org & my coaches for my actions at the 7v7 tournament this past weekend,” Jseth Owens wrote. “I did not intend for it to get as far as it did! First, I would like to start off by saying my parents never taught me to [treat] people disrespectful.”
In an Instagram post Sunday, in which he shared further video of the back-and-forth, Newton wrote, “To me, talking to a ‘child’ with everyone looking does me NO good!! So instead of speaking or going back and forth with a CHILD I wanted to have a man to man conversation with his father!!”
He added, “As athletes that are often seen on TV, loved by most hated by some, people often forget we are real DADs, real FRIENDS, real BROTHERS, real SONS, REAL HUMAN BEINGS.”
Newton joined the Patriots last year after nine years with the Carolina Panthers, who made Newton the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft and were rewarded with a Super Bowl appearance and three Pro Bowl seasons, as well as the 2015 MVP campaign. In addition to winning the 2010 Heisman Trophy while at Auburn, Newton led the Tigers to a national championship that year.
CHIEFS: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his fiancee, Brittany Matthews, are parents to a girl.
Matthews announced the Sunday birth of Sterling Skye Mahomes in a tweet. The birth came two weeks after Mahomes and Kansas City lost 31-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl.
https://twitter.com/brittanylynne8/status/1363602754225250305
Mahomes and Matthews had announced their engagement in September, the Kansas City Star reported. The next month, the couple used their dogs as part of a gender reveal, and Mahomes tweeted that he was going to be a #GirlDad.
PANTHERS: The Carolina Panthers have agreed to one-year contracts with restricted free agent wide receivers Brandon Zylstra and Keith Kirkwood, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because the team has not yet announced the signings.
Both played minor roles with the Panthers on offense last season, but could see more playing time if the team is unable to re-sign Curtis Samuel, who could be a hot commodity on the free agent market.
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