It is way too early to start handing out awards for the 2024 NFL season, but oddsmakers are already hard at work determining who has the best chances to take home awards at next year’s NFL Honors event. Coach of the Year odds were just compiled by CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani via Caesars Sportsbook, and Mike Tomlin was given +2500 odds to take home the award. He is in a seven-way tie for the 13th-best odds.
Leading the way are Los Angeles Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh (+600), Green Bay Packers HC Matt LaFleur (+700), and Houston Texans HC DeMeco Ryans (+1000). There is a lot of hype surrounding Harbaugh’s return to the NFL after spending the last nine years at the collegiate level with the University of Michigan. He will be tasked with getting the most out of QB Justin Herbert, who received a large contract extension last offseason but has yet to win a playoff game. He has only led the team to a playoff berth once (2022).
The other two who top the list have young quarterbacks that had breakout seasons last year in Jordan Love and C.J. Stroud.
Last year, Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski took home the award for the second time in his career with the first time coming in 2020. The Browns finished with an 11-6 record last season despite starting four different quarterbacks before clinching a playoff berth.
Throughout the history of the award, started in 1957 by the Associated Press, only one Steelers coach has taken home the prize. That was Bill Cowher in 1992 when the Steelers finished 11-5 with Neil O’Donnell and Bubby Brister at quarterback.
Tomlin may not have the highest odds, but he does seem to be slightly underrated. The Steelers have a completely overhauled quarterback room that could bring excitement and intrigue in the betting market if they succeed. The team in general hasn’t been getting much love from oddsmakers recently with its over/under win total set at 7.5.
The award doesn’t just go to the team with the best season. It often goes to a coach that overcomes adversity, like Stefanski last season, or Giants HC Brian Daboll in 2022 with a 9-7-1 record. Coaches whose teams are expected to be good don’t typically receive great odds, like John Harbaugh (+5000) and Andy Reid (+6000). For that reason, the Steelers being underrated by oddsmakers may actually help Tomlin’s case when it comes time to vote for the award if they perform well in the season.
