On yet another hot day in Pittsburgh, tempers flared and things heated up at the end of Steelers practice on the South Side. That much was confirmed by multiple players after a session on which writers are prohibited to report what they see and hear unless it’s acknowledged by coaches or players.
Mike Tomlin wanted nothing to do with it, saying he had “no idea” what a question was referring to Monday afternoon. He also declined to disclose what his message was to his team when they huddled post-practice, other than that “immediate feedback sometimes is needed.” One veteran gave a glimpse into what Tomlin’s talk entailed, and it was mostly about “just being smart ... and make sure nobody gets hurt in those altercations.”
“I think we’re still in that training camp mode where it’s that competitive edge. People are getting chippy,” defensive lineman Tyson Alualu said. “I think it’s just part of the game. I don’t think it’s anything you have to look into. It’s part of the game, it’s part of football. But we understand we don’t want — especially our star players, we don’t want anyone getting hurt. We’ve got to be more smart.”
Left guard Kevin Dotson seemed to confirm it was wide receiver Chase Claypool, the team’s 2020 rookie of the year, and Minkah Fitzpatrick, their two-time All-Pro free safety, at the heart of the beef.
“I just saw a big pile. I didn’t really see what went on,” Dotson said. “You come out here, and you’re pretty much fighting a person for two hours. Eventually, something might happen. That’s been happening since little league.”
As for Claypool and Fitzpatrick?
“Yeah, I think so, if you’re going to compete, competitors are going to fight,” Dotson said. “They’re two of our biggest competitors. So, I kind of almost expect it to happen at least once.”
Scuffles between offensive and defensive linemen are pretty commonplace, especially in training camp and especially early in the process as players are trying to make a name for themselves while fighting for a roster spot. Those often happen in full-contact drills, when one player can believe another took something too far, or at least past the whistle.
Claypool and Fitzpatrick, obviously, need no endorsement from Tomlin or anyone else given their performances last season. Defensive end Chris Wormley didn’t see what happened after turning his back to the play, getting ready for the next snap. But he, too, chalked it up to the dog days of summer contributing to some thinner skin than usual.
“Everyone’s ready to play someone else other than us every day, other than preseason,” Wormley said. “Sometimes that’s part of football. But as a whole, we want to stick together as a team and let that stuff go. …
“I think those two guys will make up, and they’ll carry on and prepare for Buffalo in Week 1.”
Claypool and Fitzpatrick were not made available to the media following practice; Tomlin, Alualu, Dotson and Wormley were the preset interviewees determined by the team.
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: August 30, 2021, 8:27 p.m.
