Mike Tomlin honored Steelers cleaning crew with shirt in Friday’s practice

The Pittsburgh Steelers sideline boss honored the team’s cleaning crew

The 2020 NFL season is going to be nothing like it’s been in years past. The United States and the world as a whole are still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of implementing a bubble like the NBA and NHL, the NFL will go through with their season as per usual, but with an extensive COVID-19 testing program and a disinfecting crew on all 32 teams.

During practice on Friday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin honored the team’s cleaning crew by wearing a red polo shirt with “cleaning ambassador” written on the back, as a thank you for keeping the team safe during the pandemic.

“We just have some really quality service people around here that are working their tails off to keep us safe, and I just wanted to show my appreciation for the work that they do by wearing their uniform and encouraging guys to pause and be thankful for the services provided and hopefully brighten their day if given an opportunity,” said Tomlin, via ESPN.

“We just need to be conscious of the contributions of everyone. It takes everyone within our organization to put together a successful day and thus a successful season. We just wanted that on the front of our consciousness today. Wearing that is a means of doing that.”

A grand gesture by Tomlin hasn’t gone unnoticed

We don’t doubt that NFL coaches are extremely appreciative for their team’s cleaning crews, but Tomlin took things to the next level by wearing their uniform while running Pittsburgh’s training camp session. The cleaning crew works hard to disinfect Heinz Field on a daily basis to ensure there’s not a potential spread of COVID-19.

While many were clamoring for the NFL to implement the bubble environment, their protocols agreed upon with the NFL Players Association have worked pretty well so far. As of this writing, only five players remain on the league’s COVID-19/reserve list, which includes players who either tested positive or exhibited symptoms of the virus. That’s all thanks to daily testing and the hard work given by staff members tasked with cleaning team facilities.

Cleaning crews are the unsung heroes of this 2020 NFL season, and Tomlin wanted to give them the credit that they so greatly deserve.