We are in the thick of the NFL playoffs, which also means teams that need a new head coach are busy shopping. And this year, there are a lot of shoppers, after more than 25% of teams said \u201cthank you and goodbye\u201d to the guy they started the season with.<\/p>\n
Most of the coaches were fired. Most of them didn\u2019t make the playoffs this year. Most of them didn\u2019t even finish .500. None of that describes Mike Tomlin.<\/p>\n
After leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to the team\u2019s 25th division title \u2014 eight because of him \u2014 he decided to step down after 19 years on the job. Upon hearing the news, the Athletic reported, players became very emotional, including future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was said to be in tears. The players\u2019 response is consistent with Tomlin\u2019s decades-long reputation in the league as a great mentor and friend.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, because we\u2019re all trapped in this what-have-you-done-for-me-lately meets rage-bait world, there is this narrative out there that Tomlin is not an all-time great coach. In fact, some Steelers fans online and former NFL players on podcasts are suggesting he was mediocre because the team hasn\u2019t won a Super Bowl since President Obama\u2019s first month in office. About a third of the league\u2019s teams have won a championship since Tomlin. For the fanbase for teams like the Cleveland Browns or the Arizona Cardinals, a Super Bowl in any year would be enough. However, the Steelers faithful have a different history and higher expectations.<\/p>\n
I get it.<\/p>\n
That is still no reason to disrespect one of the greatest coaches in league history as he walks out the door. Recency bias typically comes with a dash of amnesia. Sprinkle in the pace of the modern news cycle and the algorithms\u2019 insatiable hunger for outrage, and you can see why people are tempted to say negative things about someone who has never had a losing season. That achievement is not perfection, which is commonly the bar set on social media by naysayers in search of clicks, but it is unequivocal excellence. No other NFL coach with his number of years in charge can make such a claim. That is also true in the NBA, the MLB and the NHL.<\/p>\n
The only quarterback the Steelers drafted in the first round during his era, Kenny Pickett in 2022, is currently on his fourth team. For perspective, Brock Purdy, the current San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback, was available. That\u2019s not meant to be a dig at the Steelers front office. Every team has its hits and misses during the NFL draft. That\u2019s just to remind you of Pittsburgh\u2019s decadelong carousel under center. As coach, Tomlin has more seasons using three different starting quarterbacks than he does finishing the year 8-8.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no medal or ring for never having a losing season. However, that accomplishment should always come with respect. Because winning an NFL game has never been easy.<\/p>\n