The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for having one of the best cultures in the NFL. They have an impressive level of stability at the head coach position, as Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin have manned the job for the past 50+ years. Tomlin is set to head into his 17th season in the job in 2023. He’s still yet to post a sub-.500 season in Pittsburgh, a quite impressive streak.
Antonella Cresimbeni
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has been able to join Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll in the lineage of legendary coaches in Pittsburgh.
His 163 career wins already ranks 16th in NFL history, as he has a legitimate shot to move up to 12th this season with 11 wins. Tomlin seems like a lock to finish at least top-10 at this point, where he would join Noll (9th in wins). His .636 winning percentage also ranks 22nd, but his lack of recent playoff success has held him back a little bit. Still, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks another contract extension is in the near future for the head coach, as he recently talked about on 93.7 The Fan.
"There is everything to suggest Art Rooney is happy with Mike Tomlin, that he likes the direction of this young team. I would imagine it happens at some point before the start of the season. Am I 100% certain it's going to happen? No, but I think all signs do point to that happening again this year."
Despite his continued success for the storied franchise, there are still some Tomlin haters out there on an annual basis. Amidst the team's more prevalent struggles the past few years, some have called for his job. That would obviously be insane, as any team would be fortunate to have a guy like Tomlin lead their franchise. He remains one of the best coaches in the NFL, despite the lack of postseason success over the past 10 years or so.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the sidelines prior to a 2021 regular season game against the Buffalo Bills.
Tomlin is always seen as one of the best motivators, and he connects with his players arguably better than any other HC. It's the reason that several players want to come to Pittsburgh and play for him. He was a big reason as to why cornerback Patrick Peterson joined the team this offseason. Recently, former NFL defensive back Jason McCourty discussed his prior desire to play in Pittsburgh simply because who their head coach is.
How much longer will Tomlin be with Steelers?
"He [Tomlin] was a guy that came in and spoke to all of the rookies. I can remember and was just like, at this point, if ever in my career I could get a chance to play for this guy, I would love the opportunity."
Tomlin has that kind of impact around the league, and it continues to be a huge bartering piece in free agency. Tomlin's 2023 salary of $12.5 million will make him the fifth highest-paid coach across the NFL. It's clear that he will be headed to Canton when his time in Pittsburgh does eventually come to an end. Some will argue that he still has some work to do, but the aforementioned statistics speak for themselves.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers head into the 2023 season with much bigger expectations after an impressive offseason.
It's important to not take this kind of success for granted. A main reason behind Fittipaldo's explanation is the fact that the Steelers like to extend Tomlin with two years remaining on his deal. That's the position the team is in at the moment, thus the speculation. Additionally, earlier this offseason, Art Rooney said "we'll see" in reference to an extension for Tomlin. It would be wise for them to lock up the elite head coach sooner rather than later.
Do you think the team should extend Tomlin before the regular season? Where do you rank him amongst Noll and Cowher? Where does Tomlin rank amongst the best coaches in the NFL? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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