Mike Tomlin ranked 3rd best head coach in NFL by Pro Football Network

“Mike Tomlin is an elite head coach!” says Poindexter.

Cletus interrupts Poindexter’s spiel within 30 seconds and proclaims, “You must be out of your mind! Mike Tomlin is trash!”

As the two begin to bicker, Throckmorton steps in to break up this disturbing argument he is watching take place on the street corner of downtown Pittsburgh. Being the peacemaker Throckmorton always strives to be, he attempts to take the middle road by stating, “Mike Tomlin is a solid coach who, while far from perfect, is better than anybody the Steelers could get to replace him.”

After going back and forth and weighing evidence for each argument, the three parties went their separate ways, departing without reaching a conclusion to the matter. Can the BTSC faithful help determine whose stance is the best among Poindexter, Cletus, and Throckmorton? I doubt it, but the comments should be entertaining nonetheless!

Each and every offseason, Steelers fans debate the lively conversation that is Mike Tomlin. Despite the fact that many media outlets tend to underestimate the Steelers each year, those same outlets tend to think highly of Mike Tomlin. This may seem like an oxymoron, but we are continuing to see the same trend as we head into 2022.

In the eyes of the media, the Steelers are almost universally considered a poor to mediocre team that is unlikely to make a playoff push. However, Mike Tomlin is still receiving love in annual head coaching rankings. The latest ranking comes from Mike Kaye at Pro Football Network, who ranked Tomlin as the third-best head coach in the NFL. Here is what he had to say about Pittsburgh’s leader.

While Mike Tomlin’s Steelers are seemingly going through a rebuilding process with Ben Roethlisberger retired, there’s plenty of reason for optimism entering the summer. Tomlin has never had a losing season during his 15-year tenure in Pittsburgh. Coming off an early playoff exit last year, the Steelers have done a nice job in supplementing the roster for Tomlin’s continued track.

Here is the full top ten in Kaye’s rankings.

1. Andy Reid — Kansas City Chiefs
2. Bill Belichick — New England Patriots
3. Mike Tomlin — Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Sean McVay — Los Angeles Rams
5. John Harbaugh — Baltimore Ravens
6. Kyle Shanahan — San Francisco 49ers
7. Sean McDermott — Buffalo Bills
8. Mike Vrabel — Tennessee Titans
9. Matt LeFleur — Green Bay Packers
10. Pete Carroll — Seattle Seahawks

The majority of Steelers fans seem to be behind Tomlin, considering him to be in the upper echelon of head coaches currently in the NFL. While those on the flip side of the coin may be considered the minority, it is not a small minority by any means. The third group falls anywhere in between, generally saying Tomlin a good coach while also expressing frustration from the lack of playoff success.

Regardless of which argument you stand by, it will be interesting to see how far Tomlin can take a team that is not led by Ben Roethlisberger, who he inherited from Bill Cowher’s team.

With that in mind, what are your thoughts on Mike Tomlin? Are you a Poindexter that sees him as a top-notch coach, or do agree with Cletus when he states that Tomlin is undeserving of the praise he receives? Perhaps you like Throckmorton’s middle-of-the-road approach and consider Tomlin a good, but not great, head coach. Regardless of where you stand on the matter, be sure to state your opinion on this topic in the comment section below, and stay tuned to BTSC as we get you ready for the 2022 Steelers season!