Throughout the course of his 17 years as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin has dealt with quite a few characters on and off the field.
More often than not, he’s been able to control those characters and get the most out of them where it matters most: on the field.
For Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, that will also be the case new Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, who agreed to a one-year, $1.21 million deal with the Steelers that will become official on Wednesday at the start of the new league year.
Appearing on Pro Football Talk Live Monday morning discussing the Wilson news regarding the Steelers, Florio believes that Tomlin is the exact type of coach who is perfect for Wilson at this point in his career. Though Florio stated Wilson isn’t a bad character like types Tomlin has had to deal with in the past, there is a general uneasiness with Wilson and the persona he brings to the table.
That won’t be an issue for Tomlin, Florio believes.
“Mike Tomlin is a master of taking the bad kind of distraction that a player can create and pushing it in the right direction. If you’re gonna have a player-initiated distraction, like years of Antonio Brown being the Antonio Brown that we now know, he wasn’t all that different during his years in Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin knew how to keep him under control,” Florio said of Tomlin and his ability to manage Wilson moving forward. “So after years of dealing with guys who might be inclined to be distractions in a bad way or in a worse way, this is a distraction that Mike Tomlin could deal with because he just has a conversation or two with Russ.”
Control or dealing with a distraction from Wilson might not be the best wording there. It’s not as though Wilson is a bad character. He’s a Walter Payton Man of the Year winner who does some incredible work in the community wherever he is. Even in two years in Denver he did outstanding work off the field.
But there is a larger-than-life ego and reputation that comes with Wilson. He’s married to pop star Ciara and has been criticized in the past for caring more about his brand and Team 3 than his actual football team overall. That’s rubbed some people the wrong way, even past teammates.
Heck, even Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton ripped into Wilson ahead of the 2023 season, stating he needs to stop “kissing babies” and trying to be a politician. That fit between the two was never going to work, which has Wilson on the move again.
Landing with Tomlin might be the best thing possible at this point in his career.
“If you’re Mike Tomlin, you’d much rather mold that lump of clay than the guy who’s got great talent but he’s inclined to be a pain in everyone’s ass. Give me the guy who wants to be great and just needs to be pointed in the right direction,” Florio said of Wilson in Pittsburgh. “I’ll take that guy if I’m Mike Tomlin, and Tomlin will get him pointed in the right direction and channel that Russell Wilson enthusiasm.
“Tomlin will take that. After the guys he’s dealt with the last 15 years? He’ll take Russell Wilson in a heartbeat.”
As he should.
Wilson might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he cares about winning and you never have to question his work ethic or desire. That enthusiasm for the game is still there, and he brings a positive mindset to the table, which will do wonders for Pittsburgh’s locker room, especially offensively.
He’s a great fit under Tomlin from that aspect. Now it’s about just playing football and focusing on only that.
