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The AFC North race is tight, but Mike Tomlin sounded more interested in availability than vibes after Pittsburgh’s win in Detroit. He offered a semi-optimistic update on T.J. Watt, noting he’s been in the building all week but still hasn’t practiced, and that Watt is expected to address “everything going on” later in the week, according to Brooke Pryor.
Tomlin also said Nick Herbig, who missed Week 16, should be available for the Browns game.
From there, Tomlin shifted into full respect mode for the opponent everyone in Pittsburgh is already circling. As Joe Rutter noted on X, Tomlin referred to Browns star Myles Garrett as the “slam-dunk defensive player of the year,” which is about as direct as he gets.
And when asked if left tackle Dylan Cook will get extra help against Garrett, Tomlin didn’t even pretend it was a debate. Pryor shared his answer: everybody gets help against Myles Garrett, and Tomlin joked that he just watched 49ers tape where even Trent Williams got assistance.
Then he landed the point with a line that felt like it belonged in a movie, saying it doesn’t really matter because “you still might not stop the bomb from going off.”
That’s the reality heading into a game where Pittsburgh’s protection plan is going to be just as important as the scoreboard. The Steelers can talk about sacks and streaks later. First, they have to survive the one defender Tomlin just anointed as the standard.
Elsewhere, Pittsburgh is also dealing with off-field fallout involving wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. Ian Rapoport reported on X that a two-game suspension, if upheld, could void not only the remainder of Metcalf’s salary this season, but also $45 million in future guarantees, including $25 million fully guaranteed in 2026 and $20 million injury guaranteed in 2027.
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