The $100,000 fine imposed on Steelers coach Mike Tomlin for his sideline side-step carries with it another potential sanction. The league has said that “modification or forfeiture of draft choices will be considered after the final order of the 2014 draft has been determined.”
Peter King of TheMMQB.com said on Friday’s edition of Pro Football Talk on NBCSN that further sanctions are highly unlikely.
Per King, the Steelers would lose a draft pick only if the Ravens fail to make it to the playoffs based on the absence of the four extra points that would have been scored if receiver Jacoby Jones had managed to make it to the end zone on the kickoff return with which Tomlin interfered. (The drive ended in one of Justin Tucker’s five field goals on the night.)
Net points in common game is the eighth tiebreaker among two potential wild-card teams and the ninth tiebreaker for all other ties. As a result, the chances of those lost four points keeping the Ravens out of the playoffs are slim.
If they do, then the Steelers will face some sort of draft-pick penalty.