When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Cleveland Browns CB Joe Haden ahead of the 2017 season, they were adding a player who was already established as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks. He wasn’t a homegrown talent who had the benefit of learning under Mike Tomlin, and with the Steelers signing another established talent in QB Aaron Rodgers, Haden offered him advice for how to build a relationship with Tomlin and play under him during an appearance on Up & Adams.
“I think, it’s one thing when we went there, he’s just a leader of men. You just gotta be a grown man. Just go there, just be honest. Coach Tomlin does a great job of being able to just build genuine relationships with people,” Haden said. “Me and him had a relationship where you could just talk to him, you could just sit down when you get to the facility at breakfast and just have a genuine conversation. One thing he’s gonna do, he’s gonna be blatantly honest with you, so you just need to be honest with him.
“Coach Tomlin is so real. There’s no fluff, there’s no fake, so when he tells you something, he genuinely means it. You can go so far from that. I think that Coach T and Aaron are both gonna have respect for each other and be able to just have open lines of communication. So I think it’s gonna be able to work out perfectly.”
Rodgers cited Tomlin as a big reason why he signed with the Steelers, and the two got an early start on having open lines of communication throughout his free agency. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last week that Tomlin was respectful of Rodgers’ process and his decision to wait as he dealt with personal issues, and that was something that Rodgers respected, in addition to reporting that Tomlin was a “drawing card” for Rodgers’ decision to sign with the Steelers.
Continuing to be honest with one another and having a level of mutual respect will be important to building a good working relationship. Tomlin has won a Super Bowl and is one of the most well-respected coaches in the league, while Rodgers has also won a Super Bowl (against Tomlin) and is a four-time league MVP. Both men have accomplished a lot in the NFL and likely recognize that, and that should help their relationship flourish.
Already having in a built-in level of respect and Rodgers’ excitement to play for Tomlin should help the relationship be as positive as Haden believes it will be. Playing for the Steelers gives Rodgers the chance to end his career on a high note playing for a stable organization and a respected head coach. Having Rodgers gives Tomlin the chance to end his playoff win drought. If the two of them are able to build on the relationship they’ve already established, the odds of both of them getting what they want out of this season will only increase.