Mike Tomlin has been with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 19 years. His time on the job is running thin. And the job may have worn down Tomlin himself. As shared by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Tomlin’s love for the game might only be matched by his exhaustion from it.
“One thing that…sticks in my mind from my interactions with Mike Tomlin, he still has the love of football in him,” Russini said on Monday’s Scoop City to co-hosts James Palmer and Chase Daniel. “That is without a doubt. But he’s tired. He’s tired. There is definitely something to him where you’re like, ‘Man, you’ve been doing this a long time.’”
Tomlin is the longest-tenured active head coach in the four major American professional sports: NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL. It’s exceedingly rare for one coach to reach 19 years with one franchise. Tomlin is only the seventh to ever do it, joining legendary names in George Halas, Don Shula, Curly Lambeau, Bill Belichick, Tom Landry, Steve Owen, and Chuck Noll.
In today’s modern game, such stability is even rarer.
It makes sense for Tomlin to be tired. It’s certainly shown in the grey hairs he now wears. He has a 24/7, high-pressure job with frustration and angst to get over the hump. And it’s only mounting with each unsuccessful season.
The question is whether Tomlin is tired enough to want a change. Russini doesn’t offer many details there, telling the show she could see a scenario in which Tomlin leaves and one in which she stays. It’s also fair to wonder how many interactions she has truly had with Tomlin. Some, certainly, but not frequently.
The only media member Tomlin is truly close with is Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer. The two talk regularly, with Tomlin giving him information he won’t divulge to others. One day, he feigned confusion when asked about what “medical clearance” meant for Aaron Rodgers. The next day, he spills specific details to Glazer about the non-displacement fracture in Rodgers’ injured left wrist.
The point being, one should only take Russini’s commentary so far. Still, in another news cycle over Tomlin’s future, she says the rest of the NFL is watching.
“I think from around the league, not in Pittsburgh, not in their building, but outside,” she said. “I think this is the season where a lot of people are wondering what Tomlin’s gonna do next,” she said.
Of course, pundits circulated many of the same thoughts nearly one year ago as Pittsburgh collapsed historically to end the season. And the will-he, won’t-he became much ado about nothing. Tomlin committed to staying, and Rooney backed him, turning down the Chicago Bears’ trade feelers. The same could play out again this year. Tomlin has always touted a love of football and embracing the challenge the game brings. It would be out of character to walk away now. But there are five games left to change that story on either end. More losing will only make Tomlin and the fan base tired of it all.
