A player’s coach. That’s well-known when it comes to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
Players love and respect him, speak highly of him inside the locker room and outside, and truly cherish the time they get to play for him.
Some players are lucky enough to experience it. Others wish they could.
That was the case in the latest anonymous players poll from The Athletic, which asked 72 random players across the NFL landscape a series of questions pertaining to the NFL, from the biggest trash talker to the best player in the league, and their thoughts on a team potentially being overseas in the league.
In that poll, Tomlin was the overwhelming selection when it came to which head coach in the NFL, not including the player’s own, that they’d most like to play for. Tomlin received 26.4% of the votes, while the next closest was Miami’s Mike McDaniel at 14.6%. Kansas City’s Andy Reid was the only other coach to crack double figures in the poll, coming in at 10.4%.
“His messaging, leadership and attitude seem consistent with a winning formula,” one player said in regard to why he wants to play for Tomlin, according to The Athletic.
“He’s tough and accountable, and he demands that out of his players,” added another, according to The Athletic.
Those comments from anonymous players truly come as no surprise. Tomlin’s a beloved figure in the NFL, one who is tough on his players and demands greatness, but also commands respect with how he cares for players outside of football.
That messaging and leadership continues to ring true even 17 years into his career — all in one place. That’s unusual. According to star outside linebacker T.J. Watt, Tomlin’s command of the room and the messaging he gets across within team meetings continues to be impactful, even seven years into his career.
What players like Watt also love and respect about Tomlin is that he’s a no-nonsense guy. He’s going to tell it like it is, but he keeps things in-house, dealing with the media one way, while stating his true intentions and beliefs behind closed doors in a direct manner. It’s a business, and Tomlin treats it as such in the correct moments.
He also has that side to him where he cares about the players off the field, from the stars on the roster all the way down to the practice squad guys. That is what makes Tomlin so impactful as a head coach.
And it’s why he continues to get the most out of players and teams overall, continuing his non-losing seasons streak year after year. It currently sits at 16 seasons with a good chance to extend to 17 seasons this year.
Elsewhere in the anonymous players poll, Steelers left guard Isaac Seumalo got some love as one of the most underrated players in football, garnering 2.7% of the votes. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick received a vote for the league’s biggest trash talker, Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith received half a vote for most underrated player, while wide receiver George Pickens received one vote.
As far as best places to play, Acrisure Stadium received 7.1% of the votes, finishing behind Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium, Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, Green Bay’s Lambeau Field and Seattle’s Lumen Field.
The Steelers’ fan base also saw some action in the most annoying fan base section, receiving 4.8% of the votes, finishing behind Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo and the New York Jets.
