Mike Florio ,
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After Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw unnamed teammates under the bus in October for not showing up for and/or being late to arrive at player-only film sessions, the reporters covering the team responded — correctly — like a school of piranhas. After Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers strongly (and, as far as tight end Pat Freiermuth is concerned, incorrectly ) implied that one or more pass-catchers are passing on film sessions , the reporters covering the team declined to touch the topic with Rodgers.
On Tuesday, coach Mike Tomlin didn’t get a single question about it , during a weekly press conference that lasted roughly 30 minutes. On Wednesday, Rodgers had his first visit with reporters since providing what was the answer to the final question of his post-game press conference on Sunday.
He wasn’t asked a single question about it .
In fairness to the reporters, Rodgers spoke for only three minutes and 41 seconds . Still, when P.R. director Burt Lauten gave the “two more” and “last one” warning, no one asked about the topic that was crying out to be addressed.
Reporters are the conduit for football fans. They seek answers that the public wants. Who wouldn’t want to know more about the turd that Rodgers casually dropped into the punch bowl as he capped his press conference after Sunday’s 26-7 loss to the Bills?
Yes, there’s a certain symbiosis that goes along with covering a team. Anyone who stands out as an agitator gets treated accordingly when seeking special access or other things that the team can give to any reporter it chooses — including the reporters who are paid by the team to cover the team.
Still, there are certain circumstances in which that dynamic must be ignored. The folks who cover the Dolphins knew that Tua’s comments opened the door to a bunch of questions, for a bunch of people. When it came to Tomlin and Rodgers, the folks covering the Steelers opted to tiptoe around what should have been the hottest topic.
It’s one of the basic problems with the press-conference approach. The various individuals can step back and wait for someone else to ask the question that will earn the “asshole of the week” award. And so, if each one declines to step up, the question goes unanswered.
That’s precisely what happened in Pittsburgh, both with Tomlin and with Rodgers.
It’s inexcusable. It’s collective malpractice. And it does nothing to advance the basic reason that people get paychecks to cover the ins and outs and ups and downs of an NFL team.
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