“Here we go, Steelers!” The rallying cry echoes through Latrobe, but this year, it’s not just about football. Head coach Mike Tomlin is tackling a different beast: the infamous training camp brawl. “Absolutely not,” Tomlin declared when asked if he approves of fights on the Up & Adams Show this week, finishing up his thoughts with a direct response, “We’re not putting together an MMA team.”

His words cut through the summer heat like a Terrible Towel slicing the air. The Steel Curtain may be known for its toughness, but Tomlin’s drawing a line in the sand. “I understand we need tough guys in this business,” he acknowledged, yet his stance comes after a recent dust-up at Steelers camp.

Linebacker Elandon Roberts laid a hit on quarterback Justin Fields during a read-option play. Rookie guard Mason McCormick took exception, and suddenly, it was on like Donkey Kong.

Tomlin gets it. Football is a physical game. But he’s quick to point out the downsides of these scraps. “It doesn’t help us win games,” he explained. “We get penalized, we get kicked out of games.” In a league where every yard counts, hence those are consequences the Steelers can’t afford.

The veteran coach isn’t just wagging his finger, though. He’s seeing these moments as chances to grow. “When they do occur out here, I understand it while at the same time, it’s a growth opportunity,” Tomlin said.

Rumble in the NFL jungle!

The Steelers aren’t the only ones dealing with preseason fisticuffs. It’s like a boxing undercard across the NFL’s training camps. Take the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. They had to call it quits early on a joint practice last season after things got heated. Over in Cowboys territory, not one but two intra-squad fights broke out on their final day in Oxnard last season.

Even the usually cool-as-a-cucumber Aaron Rodgers got caught up in the action when his teammate Elgton Jenkins scrapped with the Bengals‘ Germaine Pratt. These incidents are as common as a Jerome Bettis touchdown dive. In 2015, Cam Newton and Josh Norman went at it, proving even MVPs aren’t immune to the training camp fever. And who could forget the 2016 clash between Laremy Tunsil and Chris McCain? It was like watching rookie hazing gone wrong.

The history of training camp fights is rich with absurdity. Back in the day, Vernon Davis nearly curb-stomped Manny Lawson before showing admirable restraint. And who can forget Pierre Garcon taking on the entire Houston Texans defense, christening J.J. Watt with a new, unprintable nickname?

For Tomlin and the Steelers, it’s about channeling that fire into productive energy. He’s not trying to turn his players into choir boys, but he wants that aggression aimed at the right targets – namely, the other team on game day.

As Pittsburgh gears up for another season, Tomlin’s message is clear: save the haymakers for the boxing ring. On the gridiron, it’s all about controlled chaos and a team-first mentality. “We got to eliminate that from our competitive spirit,” Tomlin reiterated, emphasizing the need for discipline as they “step into stadiums.”