Mike Tomlin’s the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL for a reason. Steelers fans don’t need reminding of his tenure, though. It’s full of winning seasons, and over the last decade, a lot of playoff losses. There have been highs, and some low moments to follow. Then there is Tomlin’s lack of action at the quarterback position this offseason, said FOX Sports’ Emmanuel Acho.
“I would suggest this is the biggest blunder of Mike Tomlin’s coaching career,” Acho said Monday on The Facility. “This is the equivalent to Mike Tomlin throwing a game-losing pick-six. How do you now go into the meat of the offseason with no quarterback? And you are going to trust the most offseason-untrustworthy quarterback in the game of football that is Aaron Rodgers. That’s what you gonna put your trust in? A quarterback who isn’t convinced if he wants to continue playing?”
If there’s any decision left for Aaron Rodgers to make, it’s between the Steelers and retirement. The Giants have moved elsewhere at the position, bringing in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. The Vikings seem content with J.J. McCarthy taking the reins in Year 2.
Tomlin says there’s no deadline for a Rodgers deal, which is certainly in line with how things have played out this offseason. Up until training camp, Tomlin doesn’t think there’s a real detriment to not having Rodgers on the roster. While it does feel like forever since the new league year started, the reality is there’s much more offseason still to go. After the draft, which is about a month away, there’s still approximately two months-and-a-half months until training camp.
Of course, things like OTAs and minicamp exist. Having Rodgers on the roster sooner rather than later would help the Steelers. Rodgers has reportedly already worked out with DK Metcalf and had a pleasant visit to the Steelers’ facilities recently as well. He’s at least making himself familiar with the Steelers as he continues to make his decision.
If Rodgers doesn’t end up a Steeler, Tomlin is still confident in Mason Rudolph. Whether that confidence will turn into wins remains up in the air.
As of now, it’s easy to have a critical view of the way the Steelers have handled their QB situation this offseason. After losing Justin Fields to the Jets, it can feel like Pittsburgh is settling for a player who wasn’t its first choice. If Rodgers is going to play, though, all signs point to that happening in Pittsburgh. And if the Steelers eventually close that deal, the offseason will be seen in a much more favorable light.
