Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf was involved in an altercation with a fan during the team's 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions. The CBS broadcast caught him red-handed, yet apparently everyone but his head coach, Mike Tomlin, saw what happened.
Tomlin was admittedly aware that Metcalf threw a punch at a Lions supporter when addressing the media postgame. However, somehow, the longtime leader of the Black and Gold wasn't fully in the loop, or so he wants us to believe.
Mum was the word for Tomlin in his first opportunity to save face and weigh in on the matter on Metcalf and the Steelers' behalf.
Mike Tomlin keeps quiet on DK Metcalf incident after Pittsburgh Steelers' win vs. Lions
The typically outspoken Tomlin uncharacteristically beat around the bush -- to the media and the player. He caught wind of the Metcalf incident and ostensibly chose to ignore it on both fronts:
"I heard about it, but I hadn't seen it, and I hadn't had an opportunity to talk to DK [Metcalf] about it, so I have no comment."
That doesn't sound like anything like the response Steeler Nation has come to expect from Tomlin in instances like this. He's usually one to address these problems directly and promptly to avoid repeated occurrences in the future. Nevertheless, his silence on Metcalf is deafening.
What's happening here? Oddly enough, Tomlin proceeded to praise Metcalf for his efforts as a blocker. It was as if nothing even happened, which is bizarre to think about for someone like the former, who's known to run a tight ship.
It was the second quarter when Metcalf confronted a spectator in the stands at Ford Field. So, a follow-up question regarding whether Tomlin found out about the encounter at halftime and considered in-game punishment, and the brief response was telling.
"I don't know when I was made aware of it," Tomlin told reporters.
By the sound of it, Tomlin was too focused on defeating the Lions to think about taking action on Metcalf. In other words, benching the two-time Pro Bowl wideout was ostensibly never an option in a contest that the Steelers needed to win and prevailed.