To keep Mike Tomlin or cut loose Mike Tomlin, that is the question for many Steelers fans this offseason. After perhaps the most disappointing end to a season in a long line of such, Tomlin once again finds himself at the center of public scrutiny with many calling for the Super Bowl-champion coach to be traded.
Former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and CBS Sports analyst Ryan Wilson believe that take deserves to be put out with the garbage.
“This is one of those things that make[s] me want to punch myself in the face,” Wilson said before asking Spielman his take on Tomlin potentially being traded on the With the First Pick Podcast. “I’m breaking out the old dumb bucket for this one.”
Wilson went on to ask Spielman if Tomlin would be hired in under or over two minutes, if he would become unemployed.
“Under,” Spielman said.
He then shifted gears, asking who the Steelers could hire to match Tomlin’s success. The two co-hosts agreed that Tomlin is a victim of his own success in many ways. He’s too good of a coach to lose despite having a roster that, under other leadership, would underperform. However, that lack of talent then sets him up for an early playoff exit, trapping the team in a perpetual state of average.
While it is certainly true Tomlin has a history of overperforming in the regular season, I don’t think this qualifies. Sure, you can poke holes in the offense saying the Steelers don’t have the talent on that side of the ball to compete at the highest level, but the defense is a different story. The Steelers boast a superstar at each level, yet somehow during their sole playoff game they allowed the most yards of any team.
Miscommunication and mental lapses down the stretch of the season hint at a team that was disengaged and uninterested in the message being preached by the coaching staff. An unacceptable reality for the NFL’s highest-paid defense.
That’s the part Spielman and Wilson are missing. It’s not that the Steelers lost in the playoffs, it’s not even that they lost five straight games to end the season. It’s the manner in which they did so and have done so over the past several seasons.
This is not meant to be a shot at Mike Tomlin. He’s a Hall of Fame head coach and should be treated as such. However, if the Steelers are to ever escape from the purgatory they find themselves in, changes need to be made.
