Troy Polamalu's presence at OTAs is a non-story

On May 27th the Steelers kick off their OTAs, and fans are excited to see how their favorite team might shape up for the upcoming 2014 season. One storyline that will never die, for some reason, is whether Troy Polamalu will be in attendance at these activities. To those fans that clamor for #43 to be at these events as if it were life or death, I simply say, "Who cares?!"

It has long been reported how Polamalu trains in southern California, and has done so for years, in an attempt to stay as healthy as possible. There have been years that Polamalu didn't train on the west coast, but stayed in Pittsburgh to train. Those seasons were riddled with injuries that kept the most dynamic Steelers defender on the sidelines in street clothes.

Some fans will argue about Polamlau attending these OTAs are more about being a leader and there to work with the younger players that his own benefit. As that is hard to argue with, the fact of Polamalu's health is of the utmost importance for the Steelers as an organization.

Sure, Polamalu could still attend his west coast training and be there in Pittsburgh for the OTAs. Both would be beneficial to both parties, but does it really matter? No. Polamalu is more than just an instinctive player. He is as smart a football player as they come and he and Mike Mitchell will have plenty of time to get acclimated to one another.

When Polamalu is healthy, the Steelers defense is one of the best in the league with the versatility of a high end play maker to make plays. If Polamalu training in California means that he has a higher chance of playing in 16+games this year, then skip OTAs and be ready for training camp in Latrobe, Pa.