Steelers' Mike Tomlin Takes Beating From NFL Legend "We've got to stop rewarding...over .500"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of one of the most embarrassing stretches for the franchise in recent memory. The team lost starting quarterback Kenny Pickett during a disastrous loss on home field to the rebuilding Arizona Cardinals, then proceeded to lose again at home to the New England Patriots. The team followed it up with a 30-13 defeat at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts, squandering a 13-0 lead to a team led by Gardiner Minchew and getting chewed up by practice squad running backs. Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe said it's time for Pittsburgh to take a good a look in the mirror. 

Sharpe does a podcast with another former Steelers AFC North foe in Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson called Nightcap, and on their episode discussing Saturdays slate of games in Week 15 as well as other relevant league news, they got into talking about the sad state of the Steelers after three abysmal weeks. Sharpe seemed disappointed in how far the Steelers have fallen from their former greatness. He didn't specifically call for team owner Art Rooney II to fire Head Coach Mike Tomlin, but certainly came pretty close. 

"Steelers need to overhaul," he said. "Steelers are about championships. We've got to stop rewarding... over .500."  

Johnson tried to defend Tomlin with the narrative of him never having a losing season in his tenure as an NFL head coach. Sharpe wasn't hearing any of it. 

"Mike's got to do a better job," he said. "That's not why they pay you eight or nine million dollars, to be above .500. They pay you for championships and to get the team to the playoffs and make deep runs."

There's been a lot said by former players including Ryan Clark and Ben Roethlisberger about a perceived erosion of the Steeler Way. Tomlin, who has been on the job since 2007, is the one constant for the organization and also in charge of leading the team, but might be losing his touch.

As Sharpe said Pittsburgh has an expectation of championships. Since Tomlin has been in charge he's one won in 2008 and made it back to the Super Bowl in 2011 but has little to no hardware outside a four AFC North crowns since that 2011 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The standard is the standard but what even is it in Pittsburgh any more. 

Steelers Holding On To Legends Continues To Doom Them, Sharpe Says 

One of the hallmarks of the franchise has been loyalty whether it be to coaches or players. Sharpe commended them for that, but he said it's also been a pitfall of the organization. He talked about how holding onto the players in the 1970s dynasty team especially on defense led to the era of the struggling eighties before the team started emerging again in the nineties and early 2000s under Head Coach Bill Cowher.

Sharpe is certainly not alone in thinking along these lines and he added Roethlisberger's name to the list of players the organization has held onto past their expiry date. 

"Ben got old and they held onto Ben a lot longer than they should've," Sharpe said.

Turning to the team now, Sharpe doesn't think Pickett is the answer at quarterback. Johnson said he's still on the Pickett train and he'd still give him another season to figure it out. Both of them like some of the weapons the team has on offense and the defense still has TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith and Minkah Fitzpatrick. 

Sharpe said the attitudes on the team have got to change. He understands being frustrated as a receiver but said that the way the Steelers players are showing it is not conducive to helping the team win. While his co-host Ochocinco thinks it's just one bad season and perhaps a bump in the road, Sharpe was consistent that things need to change in Pittsburgh.   

Do you agree with Sharpe that an overhaul is needed? Comment below!

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