If you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and don’t like head coach Mike Tomlin, I have bad news. Tomlin and the Steelers announced a contract extension today that adds a year to his current deal, keeping him on the sidelines through the 2021 season.
“I am pleased to announce we have extended Mike Tomlin’s contract through the 2021 season,” Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement. “Mike is one of the most successful head coaches in the National Football League, and we are confident in his leadership to continue to lead our team as we pursue our goal of winning another championship.”
The #Steelers have struck a deal on a one-year contract extension for coach Mike Tomlin to keep him under contract through at least the 2021 season.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2019
Rooney might be pleased, but you know who probably isn’t? Former Steelers and Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Two years after calling Tomlin a “cheerleader guy,” Bradshaw doubled down in his criticism of the Super Bowl-winning coach last season.
“I played for a tough sucker (Chuck Noll), and I was afraid of him, and we played our ass off for him because we feared him,” Bradshaw told 97.3 The Fan. “I don’t see that with this guy. He’s chest bumping and all that. I’m the head of the corporation, I’m the CEO, I’m the chairman of the board, I’m talking to the stockholders telling them here’s how we’re going to do at the end of the quarter. I’m selling this thing. And I’m not delivering the goods, which is championships. You’ve got to face the criticism. I’m sorry, but he’s not my kind of coach. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.”
No NFL coach gotten less out of more than Mike Tomlin. Had 3 Hall of Fame caliber players in Ben, AB, Le’Veon. Never made a Super Bowl with that core, plus a great O-line. 7 straight 1st round picks on defense. And the defense has been lousy.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) July 25, 2019
While no one is above criticism and Tomlin certainly deserves some, the anti-Tomlin crowd are spoiled by Pittsburgh’s past successes and angered by the continued failures in facing the New England Patriots. It’d be hard to do better than Tomlin, who has taken the Steelers to the Super Bowl twice and won one, Super Bowl XLIII, which was one of the best ever played.
Will Tomlin be able to keep the team above water without Ben Roethlisberger? He’s earned the right to give it a shot.
