Mike Tomlin's Sideline Obstruction Could Reportedly Cost the Steelers a Draft Pick

Mike Tomlin’s sideline shenanigans that perhaps blocked Jacoby Jones from scoring a touchdown on Thursday night thankfully did not affect the game’s outcome, but they could have had had major AFC playoff implications if the Ravens had lost. According to Jason La Canfora at CBS, both Tomlin and the Steelers will likely face “stiff” fines, and Pittsburgh might have to relinquish a draft pick.

It would not be the first time in recent years that the league has imposed organizational discipline. The Jets were fined $100,000 in 2010 when assistant coach Sal Alosi set a screen against the Dolphins’ punt coverage. For Bountygate, the Saints were fined $500,000 and docked two second round picks (in additional to long suspensions for Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis). And in 2007, Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 while the Patriots had to forfeit $250,000 and a first round pick for Spygate.

The most analogous situation to Tomlin’s that of the Jets. However, considering that Alosi was a low-level assistant and Tomlin is Pittsburgh’s head coach and a member of the NFL’s Competition Committee, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the league really try to impose strict enough sanctions on Tomlin and the Steelers organization to deter similar behavior elsewhere in the future.