Why are so many questioning Mike Tomlin’s future instead of applauding him for one of the league’s best coaching jobs this season?
The Steelers were plagued by obstacles this season that would have decimated and crippled many other teams. But thanks to Mike Tomlin, they never folded.
Pittsburgh’s leader doesn’t whine about setbacks. Instead, he plows forward with the hand he’s dealt and finds ways to navigate through any situation he faces.
“I don’t send messages, I just make moves,” said Tomlin earlier this season.
And making moves this season was a constant.
At the end of the 2022 season, Tomlin ignored the pleas to fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada, a decision which hurt both the offense and defense as the latter was exhausted from being on the field too much.
Then injuries ravaged the vaunted defense.
Cam Heyward was lost for 6 games, Minkah Fitzpatrick 7 and the linebacker unit suffered multiple season-ending injuries. The offense also faced a rash of injuries, including losing starting QB Kenny Pickett and tight end Pat Friermuth for multiple games.
After turning to Mitch Trubisky, things worsened. Pittsburgh lost three winnable games in a row to the Patriots, Cardinals and Colts. Then George Pickens and Diontae Johnson became the poster children for claims that Coach Tomlin had lost the locker room.
Two players out of 53 were responsible for an entire locker room collapse?
But I digress.
Loyalty is both a strength and a crutch for Tomlin and the organization. They held on to Big Ben for too long without a succession plan and it cost them. Tomlin held on to Canada for too long and it almost cost them.
After a horrid showing against the Browns in week 11, Tomlin finally fired Canada. While it didn’t help them during the three-game losing streak, it helped the team find its running game again. And when Pittsburgh needed to win its final three games to make the playoffs, Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and the offensive line answered the call to the tune of 113, 202 and 155 rushing yards, respectively.
That helped Pittsburgh finish the regular season at 10-7 and secure a wild card playoff spot. That finish also enabled Tomlin to keep his streak of never having a losing season in his seventeen years as the head coach of the Steelers.
None of the greatest coaches in NFL history can make that claim.
Not Don Shula (1), George Halas (6), Tom Landry (8), Paul Brown (4), Marty Shottenheimer (2), Dan Reeves (9), Chuck Knox (8), Bill Parcells (5), Tom Coughlin (8), Mike Shanahan (7) or Tony Dungy (1). Active coaches like Bill Belichick (8), Andy Reid (3), Pete Carroll (4), Sean Payton (5) and John Harbaugh (2) all have losing seasons as well.
Even the other two legendary Steelers’ coaches, Chuck Noll (7) and Bill Cowher (3) have had them.
But not Tomlin.
Yet despite the season he orchestrated, some are ridiculously calling for his time in Pittsburgh to be over.
Most point to his failure to advance in the postseason over the last few years. Others use the tired and lazy critique that Tomlin won early in his career because he inherited Bill Cowher’s team.
Yet these critics always conveniently ignore Cowher’s career when blasting Tomlin.
Cowher had three losing seasons, missed the playoffs five times and won one out of two Super Bowls. In his final five seasons, Cowher went 10-5-1, 6-10, 15-1, 11-5 (Super Bowl) and 8-8 (his last).
Tomlin took over in 2007 and in his first five seasons went 10-6, 12-4 (Super Bowl champs), 9-7, 12-4 (Super Bowl loss) and 12-4.
Both are Hall of Fame coaches, but don’t ignore reality just to bash Tomlin.
Steelers fans (of which I’m one) are spoiled as we’re used to winning. But to question Tomlin’s standing after what he accomplished in 2023 is foolish.
Tomlin’s detractors should be praising him for what he accomplished and campaigning for him to win his first Coach of the Year Award.
And it’s not like the Steelers are in horrible shape for 2024.
They have the weapons, run game and championship-caliber defense needed to win a championship. They also have stars like Cam Heyward and TJ Watt publicly supporting Coach Tomlin.
Now they need a superstar quarterback and a talented offensive coordinator who can give the team a dynamic passing attack while strengthening the run game.
If Kenny Pickett can evolve into that player in his third season, great. If not, GM Omar Khan should be on the phone with Chicago about Justin Fields.
The pieces and options are in place. But like Voltron, the team doesn’t unite without the Black lion as the head and torso. For Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin is Voltron’s Keith.
So if you think the Steelers will suddenly win a Super Bowl without Tomlin, you’re just a hater.
