The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost three straight games and all but played themselves out of the AFC playoff field as at 7-7, they’re on the outside looking in. For an organization that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, that’s led to heat on head coach Mike Tomlin. But former NFL running back Marshall Faulk doesn’t believe Tomlin is to blame for the team’s shortcomings, the Pro Football Hall of Famer instead focusing on general manager Omar Khan on The Rich Eisen Show today.
“I believe Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers, when they lost their GM, that’s the difference in this team. The talent doesn’t look like the Pittsburgh Steelers talent,” Faulk said. “The Pittsburgh Steelers used to draft the best available talent, not to what they needed. If you start drafting to what you need, you get in trouble. So you gotta take the best available talent.”
So, apparently, Khan, who in his one draft landed the Steelers a starting tackle in Broderick Jones, a good cornerback in Joey Porter Jr., and other solid depth pieces who could develop into more, is to blame for Pittsburgh’s slide. Huh? It’s not as if the team drafted for straight need, either. They could’ve rolled with Dan Moore Jr. and Chukwuma Okorafor at tackle, but Jones was clearly the most talented tackle and one of the most talented players left on the board when they moved up to take him in the first round. Porter unexpectedly fell out of the first round and was a no-brainer pick at the top of the second round. Both TE Darnell Washington and OLB Nick Herbig slid a little bit further than expected and were both picks at positions that weren’t major needs.
In fact, the team failed to address one of its biggest needs in the draft at inside linebacker, opting to sign veteran free agents instead, and that’s a decision that’s hurting them now with Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander out for the season with injuries. There’s just not much logic in Faulk’s assessment, especially given that Khan has had just one draft with the Steelers as their general manager after taking over for Kevin Colbert. Blaming the one draft for the three-game slide makes zero sense, even if the Steelers had reached for need over talent.
Right now, the Steelers are hampered by injuries (not an excuse, especially given other situations around the league) and just don’t have a very good offense. Tomlin has coached a team that’s played down to its competition and hasn’t fought enough over the last few weeks. While their lack of depth at positions like linebacker and safety has hurt them, which you can blame Khan for a bit, that makes the idea that the Steelers drafted for need over talent even more ludicrous when those were two positions ignored by the Steelers in the draft.
Faulk was an awesome running back, but in this case, it’s clear he just doesn’t really know what he’s talking about. The Steelers have a lot of issues but putting them on Khan is short-sighted and just doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Watch the full segment with Faulk on Pittsburgh below.
