There were a lot of mixed reactions when the Pittsburgh Steelers announced a three-year extension for head coach Mike Tomlin, with his lack of recent playoff success leaving many wary that the term was right for a coach who hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor said the length of the extension was a “little surprising,” and it hasn’t been super well-received by Steelers fans. But former Steelers OL Trai Essex, who played for Tomlin from 2007-2011, thinks the head coach was deserving and that he’s the person best suited to lead the Steelers.
During an appearance on The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan on Friday, Essex said Tomlin is the best coach for the Steelers right now.
“We haven’t brought a trophy home in a while, but I thought with the way things were going with the way we started and the way we ended that he deserved it. There isn’t a better coach out there for what we have on the roster right now, and I know Coach [Tomlin] is ready and roaring to go this season, so I’m excited for him.”
Tomlin is someone that players love to play for, and the long-held opinion from people around the league is that he would be the hottest commodity on the market if the Steelers were to let him go. While the lack of recent playoff success is a huge knock on his resume, he knows it’s something that has to change, and in a speech ahead of the team’s final mandatory minicamp practice, he talked about winning a Lombardi Trophy.
Nobody wants to win more than Tomlin, and while it hasn’t happened recently, the Steelers finally have the pieces in place to have some success in the playoffs. In recent years, they’ve been a flawed team, suffering from poor quarterback play, a lack of talent at cornerback, or an underperforming offensive line or middle linebacker group. The Steelers still should have a playoff win since 2016, but the actual talent on the field hasn’t been as good as it could be over the past few seasons.
This season, barring injury, the talent is there for the Steelers. If Russell Wilson or Justin Fields (presumably Wilson assuming he starts the season), can outperform Kenny Pickett as they should, the Steelers should have enough talent to win in the playoffs. It’s hard to think of a coach who could be available who would be better than Tomlin for the Steelers right now, and while Tomlin certainly has his faults, and it’s understandable why he has his detractors, the Steelers would probably be worse off with someone else leading the charge.
That’s why Tomlin deserved his extension and will lead the team through the 2027 season. Hopefully, the Steelers will have more success when it really matters throughout his extension because if they don’t, the calls for his jobs will only get louder.
