Report: Pittsburgh Steelers to be docked draft pick for Mike Tomlin’s sideline chicanery

Nov 24, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin talks with side judge Greg Bradley (98) during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Apparently a $100,000 fine wasn’t enough for the NFL to teach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers a lesson.

According to CBS Sports reporter Jason La Canfora, the NFL has decided to take a 2014 draft pick away from the Steelers for Tomlin’s interference on the playing field during a Thanksgiving night loss in Baltimore.

La Canfora’s sources close to the league office told him the NFL is waiting for all compensatory picks to be awarded before deciding which draft choice will be docked. Because of this, it’s safe to assume the tolled pick will be in the later rounds.

The NFL stated last week it would consider alterations to the Steelers’ draft selections after Tomlin got in the way of the Ravens’ Jacoby Jones during a second-half kickoff return. Although he initially smiled about the incident on the M&T Bank Stadium sideline, Tomlin apologized profusely about his misstep. His remorse didn’t move the NFL, which issued the second-largest fine ever levied against a coach.

La Canfora also reported that the NFL is staying ambiguous with regards to the draft-day penalty because the Ravens could still be adversely affected by Tomlin’s actions via the total points playoff tiebreaker. While that rarely comes into play, if the four points Tomlin cost Baltimore become relevant, expect a stiffer penalty from the league.

We won’t know the final result until spring, but it’s clear the NFL is taking a hard-line stance to prevent anything like this from happening again.