Steelers' Mike Tomlin May Not Be Completely Comfortable Based On 2024 Coaching Trend

The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired three former defensive coordinators in a row as their head coach. Chuck Noll began his tenure in 1969 and coached the team to four Super Bowl championships before retiring after the 1991 season. Bill Cowher took over in 1992 and coached the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances with one victory and one loss. He left the team after the 2006 season to care for his ailing wife. Mike Tomlin took over in 2007 and has appeared in two Super Bowls with one victory and one loss. He is still coaching the team. 

Pittsburgh has come under fire from some talking heads in the media, notably Colin Cowherd, for letting the game pass them by in recent years. The Steelers' approach to football is not very popular outside of Pittsburgh in a pass-happy NFL trying to increase scoring and hamper defenses. The culture of the NFL is changing in many cities, but Art Rooney II is comfortable with how things are done in the organization, and any change will be incremental. 

On Wednesday, CBS Sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller for her weekly appearance on the program. Andrew Fillipponi asked Kinkhabwala about the reports that surfaced that Bill Belichick may not have been a serious candidate for the Atlanta Falcons job because of his personality. Kinkhabwala did not mince words about Belichick and another defensive coach from the Patriots coaching tree. 

"He [Belichick] really is a brilliant teacher," Kinkhabwala said. "I will tell you, I was told by somebody who directly spoke to Arthur Blank during the process. What he had said to Arthur Blank was football is meant to be fun. When you think about Raheem Morris, [he] is always a guy who has a smile on his face. When you think about that, this person who is very trusted by Arthur Blank and him saying football is fun, [and] Arthur Blank making a seemingly very hard right turn in getting a guy who is full of energy, excitement, and enthusiasm. It's a young, vibrant, fun building."

The Falcons elected to go with Raheem Morris, who had served as the interim head coach in 2020 for the organization. Morris spent six seasons in Atlanta on both sides of the ball. He was both the passing game coordinator and the defensive coordinator for the Falcons. It is hard to determine, despite reports that Robert Kraft tried to torpedo Belichick (which the Patriots owner adamantly denies), what tipped the scales in Morris' favor. However, a more collaborative approach and familiarity with his personality could have tipped the scales in his favor.

Kinkhabwala pointed out that Belichick's public personality and the perception of his old-school approach to coaching may not be what the NFL is looking for in 2024. She also extended her comments to include Mike Vrabel, who played for both Cowher and Belichick and has many of the same personality traits as his former Patriots head coach. Vrabel ultimately was forced to take a consultant job with the Cleveland Browns to stay in the NFL in 2024.

"This was not the year for the Martinette strict power-hungry coach," Kinkhabwala continued. "I think Mike Vrabel is an unbelievable teacher and leader of men, and coach as well. But you saw the same thing sort of happen to him."

It is not unique to this year. Tomlin hired Brian Flores, who fell out of favor with the Miami Dolphins. The Steelers then lost him to the Minnesota Vikings. Flores, who is a brilliant defensive mind now in the Twin Cities, became their defensive coordinator in 2023. He's also perceived as someone who is demanding and can be difficult to work with. However, his lawsuit against the NFL and its minority hiring practice may be tainting that perception. 

Coincidentally, the Steelers' new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, who is perceived as a disciplinarian on the offensive side of the ball, worked for Vrabel as an offensive coordinator and was let go by the Falcons after the 2023 season. Smith's players with both the Tennessee Titans and Falcons have been very complementary of him. At 41 years old, his brand of discipline may be more in line with what current NFL players will tolerate. 

Steelers' Mike Tomlin's Perception As Defensive-Minded Head Coach May Not Be As Attractive To Other Organizations In 2024 

One of the most popular talking points outside of Pittsburgh, perpetuated by people like Peter King and Mike Florio from NBC Sports, is that Tomlin would have another job in five minutes if the Steelers ever decided to let him go. Tomlin gets a lot of credit in NFL circles for keeping a lid on the Antonio Brown situation during his nine years in Pittsburgh. He consistently ranks near the top of NFLPA surveys as the coach players would most like to play for in the NFL. 

Tomlin is the only defensive coach to finish in the top 10 of the NFPLA rankings. Pete Carroll (11), Vrabel (22), Belichick (27), and Ron Rivera (31) were all dismissed by their respective teams after the 2023 season. None of them were hired as NFL head coaches for the 2024 season. Carroll, like Tomlin, is perceived as a player's coach, although he is significantly older than Tomlin. 

No one in the history of the Steelers organization has ever been hired by another NFL team as a head coach after being employed by Pittsburgh. Cowher had reported offers, but never returned to the sidelines after taking a job with CBS Sports. Tomlin's job is very secure in Pittsburgh, but the reality is that he has to start winning playoff games again in the near future for it to stay that way. Based on the current coaching trends, it may take a little longer than five minutes for a defensive-minded coach like Tomlin to find another gig.