Steelers' Mike Tomlin The Only Person On Competition Committee To Fight Ridiculous NFL Play

The Pittsburgh Steelers are very familiar with the role of catalyst for NFL rule changes. It started with the infamous Mel Blount rule that fundamentally changed the game of football. The Steelers alleged legal use of anabolic steroids in the 1970s was one of the key factors in the league outlawing them in the 1980s. According to Mike Tomlin, the Steelers' 2010 defense was single-handedly responsible for the NFL player safety policy changes that the league adopted and occasionally enforces depending on which officiating crew is assigned to the game.

Troy Vincent, the executive vice president of football operations for the NFL, joined Pro Football Talk Live on NBC Sports on Thursday. Vincent discussed several rule changes the NFL and the competition committee are considering for the 2024 season. Changes to the kickoff rules, fumbles through the end zone, and the hip-drop tackle were all topics that Mike Florio and Chris Simms bandied about with Vincent during the segment.

The last rule that the trio discussed was the play the Philadelphia Eagles call the "brotherly shove." The rest of the league, who are not as adept as the Eagles are at running it, more commonly call it the "tush push." Vincent felt that as the season went on, the outcry against the play lessened considerably. He revealed that the competition committee did not address it directly as a group when they met in Indianapolis this week, with one notable exception.

“The evolution of the play, there were more teams doing it,” Vincent said. "They were very creative, and they were doing different things out of it. It was, 'Hey don’t punish a team that strategically does it well.' There are very few injuries. What we want to avoid is what we think could happen. But no discussion around it. Outside of Mike T. [Tomlin].”

It is very interesting to hear that the league did not want to penalize an offensive unit for doing something that can be viewed as a competitive disadvantage for the defense. The NFL has demonstrated it has no issue changing the rules when the defense gains any advantage, and the situation is reversed. Vincent revealed that the Steelers' head coach was the only competition committee member who had an appetite for pushing back on the continued use of the play. Vincent detailed the specific objections he voiced.

“He wants to make sure the defense, like the point after attempt, the d-tackles, I have to still defend that play, for me to defend that play, my defenders are looking at doing things that we would do on a point after attempt or field goal block," Vincent stated."I’d be remiss if I didn’t say what he said.”

It isn't clear what tactics Tomlin referred to, and Vincent did not elaborate on the specifics. The Steelers' defense could be looking at adopting leverage techniques used on special teams. The rules about whether certain illegal leverage on special teams would be allowed during regular play are unclear. Outlawed techniques to launch a player up to block a field goal may be viewed as viable ways to create massive collisions with quarterbacks. 

"We always say we can have a discussion in here [competition committee], but the membership will decide on what moves forward and what doesn't," Vincent concluded.

Vincent says the quiet part out loud: the competition committee makes recommendations, but ownership makes decisions. It is a notable difference. The changing of rules or the desired interpretation of rules look very different at the NFL Combine and at the owner's meetings that will take place later this year than what they look like on Sunday. 

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The NFL wanted more scoring, so they stopped defensive backs from touching receivers after five yards. The NFL wanted to protect quarterbacks and changed rules to do so. Those changes have turned roughing the passer into an absolute joke and the most questionable call in the league. The Steelers have been objecting to rule changes for nearly a half-century, and with very little exception, it has been brushed aside. 

Football has changed a lot over the decades. Career-ending injuries in the 1970s, thanks to advances in medicine, will be easily repaired in 2024. The league has attempted to protect players from concussions by throwing an avalanche of flags, and Vincent admits that injuries are driving rule changes. The NFL still allows games to be played on turf, and has not mandated the soft caps that all teams use in training camp on helmets during games. 

In an all too familiar refrain, the league is more concerned about looking like they are doing something, rather than making meaningful changes. The NFL is pawning off its safety policies to officials who do not interpret the rules evenly or consistently. It is not about player safety. It is about defending future lawsuits from former players who did not receive adequate protection from selective enforcement. 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you happy Tomlin is fighting back, even if it is a losing battle? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.

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