Steelers' Tomlin prepared to play 13 straight weeks: 'We do not care'

Mike Tomlin is ready for the Pittsburgh Steelers to play 13 straight weeks if the NFL assigns his team a Week 4 bye due to COVID-19 cases within the Tennessee Titans organization.

"We do not care," the head coach told reporters Thursday.

The Steelers are currently set to have a bye in Week 8. They were scheduled to face the Titans in Week 4, but the NFL removed the game from the slate with plans to reschedule it for later in the season.

Teams typically prefer rest weeks near the middle of the regular season when players' bodies are more battered and the stretch run is in sight.

Tomlin wouldn't say if he thought the NFL made the correct call in delaying the contest. The Steelers had been preparing for the game, and the NFL previously said it would take place on Monday or Tuesday.

"My opinion does not matter. We take marching orders from the National Football League," he said, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "We understand that they're acting in our collective best interest. I have a great deal of comfort in that."

The NFL's collective bargaining agreement requires players to have four consecutive days off for a week to be considered a bye. The Steelers practiced Thursday and will get the rest of the week off, but they plan to return to practice Monday, Tomlin said, according to Missi Matthews of Steelers.com.