The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to start veteran safety Will Allen over third-year safety Shamarko Thomas Thursday night in their regular-season opening loss to the New England Patriots and during his Tuesday press conference, head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about that decision in addition to what it might take for the former fourth-round draft pick to get back on the field on a regular basis.
“He’s [Shamarko] got to be good above the neck, he’s got to be in a position to make plays and he’s got to be good at communication,” Tomlin said.