Pittsburgh Steelers will only lose draft pick on one, unlikely condition
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on against the Detroit Lions during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 37-27. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 for obstructing Baltimore Ravens star returner Jacoby Jones during the team’s Thanksgiving Day loss, and the six-figure fine was always expected. It was also reported that the league will consider taking a draft pick away from the Steelers, and this is indeed a possibility. However, it’s highly unlikely to happen, since there’s only one specific scenario in which the Steelers would be forced to lose a pick.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Ravens would have to lose playoff-seeding tie-breakers based on the event in order for the Steelers to lose a pick. Per the Post-Gazette, the league believes that Tomlin’s interference costed Jones and the Ravens a touchdown, but since the Ravens kicked a field goal and won the game, the league isn’t upset enough to cause the Steelers to forfeit a pick. But the league would be livid if the Ravens were eliminated from the playoffs due to the difference between a touchdown and field goal, and they are already upset enough at Tomlin’s gaffe to fine him six figures.
The NFL is also expected to take the Steelers compensatory picks and full draft slot picture into account in February before making a decision, but they will likely steal a Steelers pick if the Ravens do not make the playoffs on those grounds. On the very bright side for the Steelers, nothing is expected to happen, because it is almost impossible for the Ravens to miss the playoffs on a four-point tie-breaker. For now, consider the Steelers in the clear.