Mike Tomlin outlines his perspective on the Trai Turner ejection in Week 2

During the game Sunday between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders, there were many plays which made you scratch your head and wonder what was going on. There were also many penalties which left fans likely screaming at their television after the call.

None had Steelers fans wondering what happened than when Trai Turner was given a personal foul penalty and was then ejected. There were two unsportsmanlike penalties, and they offset, but only Turner was ejected.

A quick replay showed Turner spitting on a Raiders player, hence the ejection. However, the Steelers leaders are standing up for Turner, suggesting he was retaliating after he was spit on by a Raiders player.

This is what Mike Tomlin had to say about it after the game:

“Somebody spit in his face.” Tomlin said. “And so I understand the 15-yard penalties and so forth, gaining control of the game and stuff, Trai is not a young guy, he’s not overly emotional; he’s a flat-liner. For him to respond the way that he responded, what transpired had to transpire. I was stating that case to them. I didn’t believe he did enough to be kicked out of the football game. That was just my opinion.”

Tomlin wasn’t the only person to chime in on the situation which turned into Turner being ejected, and possibly facing further discipline from the league. This is what Ben Roethlisberger said in his post-game press conference.

“You know, I caught the last, I didn’t catch the very, very beginning of it, but just in talking to him, he said he got spit on, and so he didn’t like that, which I understand and respect as a man, and he went and tried to say something to the guy that spit on him.”

No one is suggesting if Turner was spit on for him to just take it and move on with his life, but for a veteran like Turner you have to believe there wasn’t a way he could get retribution without hurting his team in the process.

There will be news on this situation in the coming days, so be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes as the Steelers now turn their attention to their first AFC North divisional game when the Cincinnati Bengals come to Heinz Field in Week 3.