If you are trying to find the coolest and chillest head coach in the NFL, look no further than Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who went on The Pivot podcast with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder.
Everything and I mean everything was talked about, but one thing that was highlighted was how life without Roethlisberger is going to be for not only the Steelers, but for coach Tomlin since this will be his first season without him — minus the time he got injured in the 2019-20 season.
“I don’t know what it’s gonna look like, but I promise you I’m gonna be ready. And I ain’t talking trash. I’m not. I’m just, I promise you I’m gonna be ready.” said Tomlin.
Tomlin does talk a lot of trash either in press conferences with his little remarks about practice or rivalry week, but this is a new era of the Steelers that will need the guidance of a Super Bowl winning coach.
“I need to be what this 2022 team needs me to be. That’s leadership, right?” said Tomlin via the Pivot “And so, it doesn’t mean be unauthentic. It doesn’t mean not [to] be myself, but I better be sensitive to the needs of the group and I better work to meet them.”
One of those leadership qualities that he spoke about on the Pivot was coming in early and getting a feel for how the day is going to be. Tomlin said that he has always come in early, before half his staff even shows up, because he wants to get a feel for what the day will be like so he can adjust if needed.
When Tomlin started he was the same age as some of the veterans on the team, now he is a lot older and wiser to know what the team needs. A guy who lives and breathes football is what the Steelers currently need.
The Steelers have a young team mixed with veterans — T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward to name a few — but they have a lot of rookies to three-year starters that Tomlin knows it’s going to take time to get everyone to buy in.
Tomlin has all those leadership qualities that you want in a head coach. It’s no wonder every season his name gets circled around about potentially leaving the Steelers to coach either USC or a school that needs a coach.
Tomlin began coaching in 2005 where he led the Steelers to their sixth Super Bowl victory against the Arizona Cardinals. Tomlin — after 15 seasons— still hasn’t had a losing season, and that is very hard to do.
Having a guy like Roethlisberger played a big role in making his coaching career the way that it is. While Roethlisberger was hurt the entire 2019, it was still an up and down season with Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph leading the way.
Having the second and third string be a part of that winning season shows what kind of coach Tomlin is. Tomlin has always talked about being ready for when you are called, it’s times like this where the Steelers have a coach who understands not only to lead players, but men.
While talking about Roethlisberger, Tomlin seemed optimistic about what this season could bring or look like. The quarterback room is going to look a little different, but it’s the coaches and veterans that will be looked upon to guide the Steelers to another winning season.
