With the Pittsburgh Steelers in first place in the AFC North, all eyes are on Mike Tomlin. Few people expected the Steelers to be competitive this year, and even fewer believed they would be the best team in their division. Tomlin deserves a lot of credit for their success. His decision to bench Justin Fields for Russell Wilson was scrutinized, but it looks like the right call so far. For that, he’s entering the conversation to win the Coach of the Year award.
As seen on FOX Sports, DraftKings Sportsbook has Tomlin’s odds to win Coach of the Year at +900. He isn’t the favorite or even in the top five, but that is a significant increase compared to when the odds initially came out. Originally, Tomlin’s odds of winning the award were +2500. The Steelers’ performance has helped his chances, deservedly so.
The favorite to win is Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders, with his odds sitting at +180. Quinn is in his first season with the Commanders, and he has totally turned them around. They’ve gone from worst to first in their division. The Steelers play the Commanders this week, so maybe if Tomlin’s squad wins that game, he’ll become a real contender to take home the gold.
Quinn isn’t Tomlin’s only competition, though. Kevin O’Connell, Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh, and Dan Campbell are also ahead of him. They all have strong arguments to win, too.
O’Connell has the Minnesota Vikings contending for their division despite having a mess at quarterback. Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated. Harbaugh was the favorite to win the award entering the season, and he’s helped the Los Angeles Chargers become more competitive. The Detroit Lions, led by Campbell, might be the best team in the NFL.
Despite not having a losing season to his name, Tomlin has never won the award for best coach in the NFL. If the Steelers win the AFC North this year, it might be his most impressive season yet.
The Steelers have a rough second half of their season left, though. Tomlin might deserve to win the award if they come out clean on the other side. He’s still a long shot, but that could change. Knowing Tomlin, he’s probably more worried about making sure the Steelers win a Super Bowl.
