Ex-NFL coach says he once heard a pizza guy in the headset

Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick is seen on the sidelines during their NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore November 11, 2007. Billick was fired by the club owner Steve Bisciotti, announced on December 31, 2007. Billick, who lead the Ravens to a win in Super Bowl XXXV in 2000, finished this season with a 5-11 record. Picture taken November 11, 2007. (Joe Giza/Reuters)

Sep 3, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly before a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Former NFL coach Brian Billick said he finds it hard to believe that the Patriots somehow caused the Steelers’ headsets to malfunction Thursday night in New England’s season-opening 28-21 win in Foxborough, Mass., as was alleged by Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers’ official website.

During an appearance Friday on the NFL Network, Billick said headset issues are common and that he once heard a pizza guy on his headset.

“Well, it’s replete through the entire league,” Billick said. “There’s times, even at home when I was with the Baltimore Ravens — one time I got a pizza delivery guy. I’m not a technician to know what all these air waves (are) and how they cross over.

“Those that want to now add that to the litany of compaints about the New England Patriots, I don’t know that that’s fair. … I find it hard to believe with all the scrutiny of the first game, that would be the absolute height of hubris to think that the New England Patriots were doing this maliciously.”

Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly said Friday he’s had plenty of issues with headsets as well.

“I’ve heard a lot of things in my headsets,” Kelly said. “There are frequency issues in some places. I’ve heard air traffic control. A lot of different things. It happens.”

Tomlin said he heard the Patriots’ radio play-by-play announcers in his headset during the first half of Thursday’s game. Apparently he didn’t hear them mention that somebody should cover Rob Gronkowski.