As Bill Belichick and the Patriots parted ways this offseason, Mike Tomlin is the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL. He’s entering year 18, a number that would be impressive in any era but is even more so, given how much player and coach movement has ramped up recently.
When you coach for that long or do anything for that long, it’s hard not to get comfortable in a specific routine. You develop a set of traditions or rules and apply them over and over because they seem to work in the long run. Just look at the one guy in your office who refuses to use his phone calculator and instead uses an old-school one.
But what makes Mike Tomlin so great is that he pushes against this comfortability. For example, he has had spurts where he’s benched rookies for the first half of seasons just to prevent them from hitting the rookie wall. But this year may be different, based on what he said in an interview provided by the team today.
“I do it based on individuals, and it’s not just a cookie-cutter approach. It’s based on the maturation and maturity and readiness of the individuals,” Tomlin said. “What may have applied to last year’s class may not apply to this year’s class. I think a lot of this year’s class are older guys than last year’s class, [there are] a bunch of fifth-year guys, and things of that nature in this class. And so there might be more immediate maturity and readiness. I don’t paint with a broad brush. We make decisions on an individual basis.”
Last year, all eyes were on Joey Porter Jr, who Mike Tomlin avoided playing early despite the team’s question marks at the cornerback spot. Eventually, Porter’s standout flashes gave Tomlin no real choice, and he burst on the scene when given more playing time in the second half. Was his stellar play due to getting eased into the speed of the NFL game, or did he always have the talent and Tomlin was holding him back early? It’s impossible to know, but at least most feel good about Porter going into year two.
This class should have some instant contributors. Zach Frazier seems like the no-brainer starter at center, and Troy Fautanu should have a solid shot at earning a tackle job. Even Roman Wilson could earn the WR2 role with a solid camp, and there are more ready-to-play guys as you move down the draft, like Mason McCormick.
Intentional or not, the team filled immediate needs in the 2024 NFL Draft. And if the positions of the players selected, and Mike Tomlin’s words, are any indication, we might see them on the field sooner rather than later.
