Since 1969, there have been 10 different American presidents and 10 prime ministers in Canada. Twelve men have walked on the Moon. And in Pittsburgh, there have only been three head coaches at the helm of the Steelers. This shows how almost sacred this position is!
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The departure of Mike Tomlin is a bomb, even if we felt that the detonation was coming.
Tomlin took office in 2007, having just completed his 19e season at the helm of the team with another quick exit in the playoffs.
Before him, Bill Cowher had led the team for 15 years, from 1992 to 2006. He took over from Chuck Noll, who was the most legendary driver in Steelers history, from 1969 to 1991.
Noll won the Super Bowl four times between 1974 and 1979, building the Steelers into a dynasty. Cowher added a Vince Lombardi Trophy to the collection near the end of his reign in 2005. Tomlin emulated them in his second year.
No other organization in sport has demonstrated such consistency at the head coaching position.
To the point where despite the Steelers’ failures for too long in the playoffs, the end of the association with Tomlin seemed eternally postponed to the week of four Thursdays.
Now what was supposed to happen happened. Tomlin decided to leave on his own accord, sparing the Steelers the odiousness of doing the inevitable.
Repeated failures
After Monday night’s 30-6 loss to the Texans, quarterback Aaron Rodgers said even mentioning that Tomlin may have served his time with the Steelers was like a bad joke.
No offense to Rodgers, the Steelers were clearly there.
Yes, Tomlin, in 19 years at the helm, has never had a single losing season. It’s a remarkable accomplishment and a sign that his players were generally willing to hustle on the field for him.
However, the Steelers have not won more than 10 games in seven of the last eight seasons.
They haven’t played in the Super Bowl since 2010.
They haven’t won a single game in each of their last seven playoff appearances.
In these seven games, this defensively proud team, once recognized by the evocative nickname of the Iron Curtain, conceded at least 30 points six times.
We can respect Tomlin, he fully deserves it. You could say he is among the immortals in Pittsburgh. He has all the potential to eventually be considered for a spot in the Hall of Fame.
What we can’t do is pretend that the Steelers had to keep going in circles forever. This organization, which has won six Super Bowls, has never been the type to stupidly settle for being competitive and making the playoffs for a quick dip.
Tomlin brought a lot of positive things to the organization and the longevity of his reign testifies to the great stability that characterizes the organization. However, we should not use this pretext to get stuck in routine without aspiring for more.
Tomlin is only 53 years old and he should bounce around elsewhere unless he opts for a more comfortable position in television. As much for him as for the Steelers, the change should be beneficial.
A new beginning
Tomlin’s departure is an opportunity for the Steelers to start fresh. Without talking about a complete reconstruction by throwing everything on the ground, we must rejuvenate this team whose core is aging.
This departure also marks the end of the brief Aaron Rodgers experience. Since the waning years of the Ben Roethlisberger era, there has never been a true long-term solution at the quarterback position and the offense is paying the price.
It’s still crazy, when you think about it. We will probably never see coaches hanging on to their position for such a long time again. In the space of two weeks, the two longest-tenured coaches in the NFL, Tomlin and John Harbaugh, lifted their markers.
Andy Reid is now the patriarch, he who will begin his 14e season with the Chiefs. Rams driver Sean McVay becomes the second oldest and he’s not yet 40!
More than 75% of the coaches in the league have been hired as of 2021. The merry-go-round is spinning at breakneck speed and Tomlin was the last of an endangered species.
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