Steelers' Mike Tomlin Reveals His Answer Of Whether Or Not He Will Join The Broadcast Booth In The Near Future

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the model of consistency during the entirety of Mike Tomlin's tenure with the team. Over the course of his 16 years as Head Coach, he has never had a losing season and has guided the Steelers to seven AFC North titles. Often described as a "players coach," Tomlin possesses a unique personality which has been front and center during his time in Pittsburgh. There is no denying that he is one of the most well-respected men in the entire league who has done an outstanding job maintaining the standard that comes along with being the Head Coach of the Steelers. 

Despite being hired by the Steelers in 2007, Tomlin is still only 51 years old and likely has many mores seasons in front of home as long as he still has the desire to coach. Fortunately for Steelers fans, the future Hall of Famer has no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. During a recent appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," he described his love for the game of football and detailed how he enjoys the the opportunity to form relationships with his players. 

"It is so easy to be quite honest with you. I'm not going to act like it's hard. First, I absolutely love football, I love the challenges that this profession and my job presents. I love working with players and helping them grow," answered Tomlin. 

Do Not Expect Tomlin To Be A Television Analyst In The Near Future 

There are some who believe Tomlin may be intrigued by the idea of retiring from coaching and instead opting to follow the same career path of the man he replaced in Pittsburgh, former Steelers Head Coach, Bill Cowher. He certainly has the necessary personality and "colorful" speaking prowess to be highly successful on television, however, during the same interview, he shot this idea down rather quickly.  

"I just really don't have a strong desire to evaluate my peers in that way, to participate in the game that way. I respect it and I appreciate it. It's just not my area of expertise or desire. I like to get my nails a little bit more dirty," said Tomlin. 

As with every season, Tomlin is singularly focused on helping the Steelers regain their dominance in the AFC North and compete for a Super Bowl title in 2023. The current construction of the team's roster undoubtedly has enough talent to do so, but winning games will be far easier said than done this upcoming season as the AFC boasts an abundance of riches in terms of quarterback play. From Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs to Joe Burrow with the rival Cincinnati Bengals, the team will face an uphill battle of cracking the postseason in 2023. Optimistically speaking, Steelers second-year quarterback, Kenny Pickett, will be up to the challenge and make a serious jump in production during his sophomore campaign. 

Will The Steelers Be Contenders In 2023? 

With Tomlin at the helm, improved quarterback play from Pickett, and a star-studded group of defensive players who are hungry to taste success in the postseason, the Steelers have the pieces in place to improve their win total from this past season. While the Steelers have avoided a losing season with Tomlin as the Head Coach, the team has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season, defeating the Chiefs in the divisional round. Needless to say, the lack of playoff success has been extremely disappointing as the entire fanbase is hoping this recent trend corrects itself in 2023. 

One thing is for sure, anything short of the postseason this upcoming season will be considered a disaster for the organization. The odds may be stacked against the Steelers, but the time has come for the team to take their rightful place at the top of the AFC. To quote Coach Tomlin, "the standard is the standard." Let's hope this standard is upheld as training camp is only a few weeks away. 

Thoughts, Steeler Nation?

What do you make of Tomlin's comments during the interview? Are you surprised to hear that he has very little interest in joining the broadcast booth? How many games will the Steelers win in 2023? Be sure to let us know in the comments! 

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