Allen himself doesn’t appear to understand why he’s not playing, either. Asked if he’s getting closer to being cleared to play, Allen responded, “That’s a Coach Tomlin question.”
Asked if it’s just taken a while to get over his knee injury, he said, after a five-second pause, “Ummmm, the situation is what it is. And… (4-second pause)… that’s just probably a question better answered by Coach Tomlin.”
Are you frustrated? “I try to keep a level, positive head at all times. Yes, I have my feelings about, um, you know, not being able to do but I have to stay mentally in it so I can help as best I can any way and in any way.”
On the surface, it might seem, to an objective observer, Allen’s absence is based more on him being the fifth of five cornerbacks and he isn’t earning a helmet. To mask that, the team is leaning on a past injury to explain why their big money cornerback isn’t getting on the field.
Most who watch the team closely would agree, Allen’s the fifth of the five, and wouldn’t disagree that the team is picking the right four cornerbacks, if only four are to be active on Sundays.
The whole situation seems odd, though, and either way, it seems like just another step toward the end of Allen’s time in Pittsburgh.
