Mike Tomlin will return as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. Is it the right move?
Amid mass amounts of speculation, the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach has now made it clear that he won’t be going anywhere. At least, for the time being.
Surely you could forgive anybody who thought the writing was on the wall in Pittsburgh after head coach Mike Tomlin stated that he would discuss his future with family following his team’s Wild Card Round exit at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. Then there was also the fact that he walked out on reporters who asked about his future. Ultimately, Tomlin is staying put. Who would’ve thought?
Mike Tomlin to return in 2024
According to reports on Tuesday, Mike Tomlin will return as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers for another season. Speaking with the team during a meeting on Tuesday, Tomlin explained that speculation about whether or not he would stay with the team was “unfounded.” If you didn’t know, this coming season will be Tomlin’s 18th in charge of the Steelers, making him the longest-serving coach with one team now that Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have parted ways.
Amazingly, Tomlin has never finished a season below .500 and even won a Super Bowl in 2008 with then-quarter Ben Roethlisberger as the centerpiece of his offense. At present, Tomlin’s record stands at 173-100-2. Sadly, the Steelers have not managed to maintain the same level of success in recent years. Indeed, the team has failed to make a trip to the postseason in three of the past six seasons and has not won a single playoff game since 2016. Quite frankly, the team has not regained its posture since the retirement of Roethlisberger, a fact that has been compounded by Kenny Pickett’s failures and the retention of Matt Canada who has simply not been up to the task of offensive coordinator.
Is this the right move for Mike Tomlin & the Steelers?
That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? This will be the final year of Tomlin’s deal and while there has at times been talk of him being dismissed, much of the chatter in recent times has been about whether or not he would quit. As mentioned at the start of this, the 51-year-old recently stated that he would take time to discuss his options with his family. At any rate, here we are with Tomlin set to return and the Steelers set to reflect on yet another year of underachievement. Perhaps the question is not whether Tomlin staying is the right choice, but rather what’s he going to do differently now that he is?