Mike Tomlin isn’t just hearing “Fire Tomlin!” chants from Steelers fans. A couple of the franchise’s greatest players are saying Pittsburgh needs to make a coaching change.
The NFL's longest-tenured coach has been under heavy criticism and even Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison have joined in.
“Coach Tomlin’s been here a long time,” Roethlisberger said on his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast this week. “You’d give him a statue, whatever you’ve got to do, because he deserves it, he’s earned it. But it’s time to find that next guy. Who’s that next guy that could be here for the next 20 years?”
Strong comments from the two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback who played 15 seasons for Tomlin before retiring in January 2022.
Tomlin led the Steelers to a Super Bowl title in his second season but hasn’t returned to the AFC championship game since 2010. He’s never had a losing season in 19 years in Pittsburgh but is 0-5 in the playoffs since 2016.
The Steelers (6-6) are playing for first place in the AFC North against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday yet critics are piling on because they’ve lost five of seven and don’t seem like a team that has a chance of making a playoff run.
Harrison, a two-time All-Pro linebacker who played parts of 10 seasons for Tomlin, was harsher than Roethlisberger.
“I have never been a person (who) thought Coach Tomlin was a great coach,” Harrison said on his “Deebo and Joe” podcast. “I thought he was a good (coach). ... A good coach gets you to play to your potential. And right now, the players we have on that team I have seen play, they’re not playing up to their potential. A great coach gets you to play to your potential.”
It’s rare to hear accomplished players be this critical of their former head coach, especially someone as respected as Tomlin. His impressive resume would help him quickly land another job if he left Pittsburgh.
Roethlisberger suggested Penn State would be an ideal fit for the 53-year-old Tomlin.
“You know what he would do in Penn State? He would probably go win national championships, because he’s a great recruiter,” Roethlisberger said.
The Steelers have only had three coaches since 1969. Chuck Noll led them to four Super Bowl titles in 23 years. Bill Cowher won a Super Bowl in his 14th of 15 seasons. Both coaches are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tomlin is 189-113-2 with one Lombardi trophy. He should get a gold jacket when he’s finished coaching.
Maybe his message has grown stale in Pittsburgh. Perhaps he needs a fresh start. Sometimes a change of scenery works out for an organization and a coach.
Andy Reid was fired by the Eagles in 2012 after winning more games than any coach in franchise history because he couldn’t win a Super Bowl. He went right to Kansas City and has won three rings with the Chiefs. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has won two Super Bowls with two coaches — Doug Pederson and Nick Sirianni — since Reid left.
“Here’s what you don’t do: You don’t fire a guy like Coach Tomlin,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s a Hall of Fame head coach, he’s respected. What you do is you come to an understanding and agreement, and it’s like, ‘Hey, listen, I think it’s probably best for both of us.’
“You go, ‘Hey, Coach, listen, it’s probably best for all parties involved, let’s start over.’ It happened with Chuck Noll, it happened with Coach Cowher.”
Roethlisberger is right. The Steelers shouldn’t fire Tomlin. There’s plenty of football remaining this season. If Pittsburgh misses the playoffs or goes one-and-done, a change could make sense for both sides.
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