Tuesdays are typically a day Mike Tomlin spends preparing a game plan for the Steelers' upcoming opponent.
This time around, however, Tomlin spent less time prepping to play the Titans and more wondering if that game actually would take place.
Tennessee had three players and five members of its staff test positive for COVID following its win Sunday over the Vikings and the league informed the Titans they would have to shut down their team facility. The Titans (3-0) are scheduled to host the Steelers (3-0) in a battle of unbeaten AFC teams at Nissan Stadium at 1 p.m. next Sunday.
When news of the Titans' positive tests broke, one of the early solutions talked about was a postponement of the game. Tomlin and Art Rooney II spent a lot of time and effort Tuesday on the phone with the NFL office in New York trying to sort everything out.
"We don't have a lot of definitive answers long term about what the prognosis looks like," Tomlin said. "We've been given a mandate to prepare as if the game is going to be played and played on time. That is our mentality. We've gone about today's business from a game-planning standpoint with that mentality and we intend to push into tomorrow with a normal schedule Wednesday.
"We'll take it day by day. We talked openly about 2020 presenting challenges and we would need to be light on our feet, be ready to adjust. We're ready to live that out."
Any changes made in the schedule for the game would likely come Wednesday. If the game is not moved then to a different date or time, it likely will remain in its scheduled 1 p.m. kickoff spot on Sunday.
There has been speculation the game could be moved to Monday to give the Titans an extra day of testing, or even to a date later in the season. Moving it to a later date in the season, however, would be a move the league would only make if the Titans somehow wind up with a larger group of players testing positive than the current three.
The NFL expanded practice squads to 16 players this season and allowed teams to keep veteran players on their practice squads just in case of this eventuality.
"I'm sure they're pondering the possibilities as they gather information relative to the current circumstances," Tomlin said of the league.
The Titans will not be permitted to be in their facility until at least Saturday, while the Vikings could return to their facility by Friday. Minnesota plays the Texans this weekend.
As for his team, Tomlin said he has no concerns regarding the safety of his coaching staff or players if the game is played this weekend.
"We're going to trust the medical experts," Tomlin said. "If they deem it's safe enough to proceed, we're going to go down there with the intention of playing and playing to win."
The Steelers could be without three players, however, because of injuries sustained in their 28-21 win over the Texans last Sunday: Fullback Derek Watt has a hamstring injury that will keep him sidelined against the Titans, while linebacker Marcus Allen is doubtful to play because of plantar fasciitis. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson left that game with a concussion and remains in the league protocol. The earliest Johnson could be cleared would be Friday.