Former Steelers LB Endorsed Mike Tomlin Making A Change, Cites "Lack Of Appreciation From Fans"

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has once again managed to get the team to .500 or above to end a regular season. You would think that would be enough to make fans plead with the Rooney family to do everything they could to keep him happy and in the Steel City. That isn't necessarily the case though. Lots of fans hope that this will be Tomlin's last season in black and gold.

This has gotten the attention of the media, who love to speculate on the fate of head coaches. Adam Schefter recently reported that he thinks Tomlin may move on of his own accord. Now, one former player, who spent the majority of his career playing for Tomlin, said he hopes that is true. 

Steelers' Mike Tomlin Might Need A Fresh Start

Those fans who think Tomlin's time in Pittsburgh should be up were almost excited when this season seemed to be going downhill. The team found itself struggling, a far more inconsistent start than fans anticipated after an exciting preseason. 

However, Tomlin did not just get the Steelers to a winning record, he got them to the playoffs. The Steelers will face the Buffalo Bills in the upcoming Wild Card round. Tomlin has shown himself to be bold and unflinching, in the face of adversity, even switching at quarterback to help light a fire under the lackluster offense. 

This has earned Tomlin the praise of his former players, which isn't surprising. He is often referred to as a "players coach" and applauded for the way he motivates and mentors the men he works with. Tomlin is so popular with players that you frequently hear stories about free agents wanting to sign with Pittsburgh in part to be able to work with him. 

This includes Arthur Moats, a linebacker, who was with the Steelers for four seasons. Moats has stayed in Pittsburgh after retiring and now co-hosts a Steelers-centric podcast where he conducts interviews of former players of the team.  

During a recent episode of The Arthur Moats Show, he was asked what he thinks about Schefter's comment. Schefter was clear that he does not believe that the Rooney's will fire Tomlin, but rather that Tomlin will either want time off, or look for a new challenge.         

"I can dig it. If he wants to take time off or if he wants to go to a new team, I am 100% supporting it. I love it because how many times have we talked about the lack of appreciation from Steelers Nation towards Coach Tomlin? How many times have we talked about, if he were to leave, he would have other opportunities lined up, and it's not going to be hard for him to find another job. I still feel like he's a great coach who very much still had his hand on the pulse of this team."

Tomlin has certainly had his share of challenges this season. When the team met with the Cleveland Browns during Week 11, the Steelers were sitting at 6-3. While that doesn't sound terrible, the team did not seem cohesive. 

The frustration was about more than just the record, it was about how spotty the play was. The Steelers were trailing a lot and having to rely on quarterback Kenny Pickett to come from behind. The play-calling still looked subpar and most people blamed Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada - thereby Tomlin for keeping him on the staff. This led to Tomlin firing Canada after that Browns loss. 

Pickett came out in Week 12, playing some of the best football of his career and the Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, the very next week, Pickett was hurt about halfway through the game against the Arizona Cardinals. Tomlin sent backup Mitch Trubisky in for Pickett, but the team eventually still lost. They proceeded to lose the next two games as well, three losses to three teams they should have topped. 

Then Tomlin chose to send third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph in. He did something that hadn't been done all season, managed to score at least 30 points and win their final three games. This, along with some help from the Tennessee Titans, put the Steelers in the postseason. It is those kinds of decisions that make Tomlin such a great coach, according to Moats. 

"We've seen through every single ounce of adversity that you can throw at him, each and every season, even when it's coaching staff, player injuries, and everything in between. The one constant is the standard is the standard, he wins. So they call him 'Mediocre Mike.' Well shoot, let me know mediocrity is 10 wins with your third quarterback after you fired your offensive coordinator in the season for the first time where a coach was fired in Pittsburgh since 1941. If he decides to leave and pick up a new challenge, I'll be the first one supporting him wherever he's at, because that's my energy towards him, that's my guy. I've bled with this dude, I've earned the right to love on him like that and vice versa. I don't take him for granted."

Moats is far from the only player to defend Tomlin and insists that many of the fans don't understand the contributions he makes. It is not uncommon to hear fans from other teams, as well as former players and media members, say that he wouldn't last 24 hours on the open market before he was snatched up by another team. 

Like many NFL players, Moats spent time with other teams (in his case, the Bills and the Cardinals), and there is a reason he chose to stay linked with the Steelers. He said he has seen what life is like under other coaches or on other teams and he knows how good Pittsburgh has it with Tomlin. 

What do you think about Moats' comments? Do you agree that Steelers fans are a bit spoiled? Tell us what is on your mind! Click to comment below.

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