Contrary to popular belief, Mike Tomlin still considered a Top 5 Head Coach

The NFL offseason means it is time for those rankings everyone loves to hate to be released. In a recent article for NFL.com, Elliot Harrison ranked all 32 NFL head coaches. Of course I clicked the link, like almost everyone else does, and scrolled quickly to see where Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin resided on the list.

Considering the list is titled “Bill Belichick and everyone else...” I knew I would have to scroll a bit to find the Steelers’ head coach. After the 2017 13-3 regular season ended with a ridiculous thud courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars, I expected Tomlin to be in the Top 10, but possibly towards the back end of the line.

To the disgust of many black-and-gold fans who can’t stand Tomlin, he found himself in the Top 5, No. 4 to be exact.

Take a look at the Top 10 of the list, and what was said about Tomlin’s ranking:

1. Bill Belichick — New England Patriots
2. Sean Payton — New Orleans Saints
3. Pete Carroll — Seattle Seahawks
4. Mike Tomlin — Pittsburgh Steelers

“The Steelers are always in contention. And Tomlin has shepherded Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl appearances -- and a total of eight postseasons -- in 11 years on the job. The key to Tomlin’s success is not X’s-and-O’s handiwork -- it’s getting his players to play for him. A testament to that ability is how his team has stayed viable even when key parts (like Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell) haven’t been available.”

5. John Harbaugh — Baltimore Ravens
6. Mike McCarthy — Green Bay Packers
7. Andy Reid — Kansas City Chiefs
8. Doug Pederson — Philadelphia Eagles
9. Jon Gruden — Oakland Raiders
10. Mike Zimmer — Minnesota Vikings

Fans can, and will, debate where Tomlin should fall on this list, but Harrison’s list leaves plenty to debate not including where Mike Tomlin should be ranked. For instance, a list where John Harbaugh, who hasn’t been in the postseason in the past three years, is three spots ahead of Doug Pederson, who won a Super Bowl last year with a backup quarterback, certainly is questionable.

Oh, and then there is Jon Gruden, who hasn’t done anything but talk about football for nearly a decade, and he somehow cracks the Top 10 list?!

It is at this point where fans typically go to the comment section to discuss, debate and vent about the list, where Tomlin ranks and ask the never-ending question, “Is the offseason over yet?”

July 25th can’t come soon enough...