The Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the NFL received a stern warning from league officials on Thursday. It’s about player safety, but it’s not actually on the field. It concerns the players’ homes and residences. In 2024, athletes have been a constant target of thieves, and there has been a noticeable trend of these criminals targeting the homes of NFL players during their games. This is clearly a serious issue as players’ families could be putting themselves in danger.

The warning, distributed from the NFL to all 32 teams, was considered a safety alert sent to each team’s director of safety and the NFL players’ union. This comes after several NFL players saw their homes burglarized last month, and it’s happening all over the country. Insider Tom Pelissero first to report Warning sent to NFL teams.

“Sources say the FBI is investigating the crime wave as transnational organized crime,” Pelissero said. he wrote. ‘The league, the NFL Players Association and team security forces are also monitoring the crime spree, which is believed to be linked to a criminal organization in South America. At least one more current NFL player’s home was broken into last week.’ “This is a transnational crime ring, and for the last three weeks they’ve been focusing on NBA and NFL players, and it’s all over the country,” a source familiar with the situation said.

It is clear that this is a very serious situation. No players or family were harmed during these robberies, but it appears no one was home at the time of the crimes. I hope this transnational criminal gang is taken down quickly so the players can just keep worrying about football, because any player in the league is certainly worried about his family’s safety in the midst of this crime spree.

Two of the players targeted by the criminal gang are among the world’s most popular athletes. It was Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. Another player who saw their home targeted was Linval Joseph of the Dallas Cowboys. Pelissero’s report stated that other players, whose names were not disclosed, were also targeted. mahomes spoke to the media However, he couldn’t share much because it was an active investigation.

“Yeah, I mean it’s frustrating, obviously,” Mahomes said. “It’s disappointing. So I can’t go into too much detail because the investigation is still ongoing, but obviously it’s something you don’t want to happen to anyone, but yourself of course.”

Mahomes and Kelce have earned a good amount of money through deals and partnerships both on and off the field throughout their careers. It is clear why they were targeted, but I hope this organization is quickly shut down and no other athletes’ homes are targeted. Former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett victim of a similar crime Before the 2023 season, when the quarterback had his car stolen while he had the playbook inside.

Steelers Must Protect Their Players

All these robberies took place while these athletes’ homes were empty. This is a good thing because although the theft is still disappointing, it means no one is in danger at the time. Pelissero reports on how these criminals know when to go home, and that has a lot to do with their team schedules.

“Several people with knowledge of the crimes said the perpetrators did not fight each other and did not break into homes while residents were inside,” Pelissero said. he wrote. “Instead, they use public records to find players’ addresses and conduct extensive surveillance. They then follow team schedules and the social media accounts of players and their families, often waiting until homes are vacant during games and quickly gaining access. Particularly master bedrooms and “Focus on lockers and steal items such as cash, jewellery, watches and handbags.”

All NFL teams, including the Steelers, should probably keep their team schedules and plans close to the vest. The team usually does this anyway, but it’s important to be extra careful during this time because a new house seems to be attacked every week.