Mike Tomlin’s Final Press Conference of the 2023 Season
Mike Tomlin held his final press conference of the 2023 NFL season on Thursday.
It has been well documented that the last time Coach Tomlin spoke to the media, he stormed away from the podium when Brooke Pryor began to ask him a question about his contract nearing its expiration. He opened up this press conference with a little joke about it, with a big ol’ smile on his face saying: “Good afternoon! In a little better mood today, man. Anybody got any contract questions?” He expanded on that: “I certainly could’ve handled that situation better than I did, but I’ll also say this: I just believe there’s a time and place for everything, and post-game press conferences are probably not the place to address contract issues and things of that nature.”
That was a nice, well-intentioned jab at Brooke Pryor, who is great at her job, but has been getting swarmed on social media for the timing of her question earlier this week.
Obviously, he addressed the game in Buffalo, but I’ve said all I have to say about that and I have no intention of reliving that shit. It was not fun hearing that TJ Watt was probably healthy enough to play this week, had we advanced in the playoffs, but such is life. We press on.
This press conference had a different vibe than we’re used to from him, particularly at the end of seasons. On numerous occasions, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the results of this season (which we’re used to), but the constant talk of needing to change really stood out to me. It’s crazy to say this about a guy that has won two Super Bowls (one as a head coach and one as an assistant coach), but this might be the most important offseason of his career, and the sense of urgency is palpable in the way he speaks throughout this press conference.
One of the first questions he fielded was about the offensive coordinator position, and whether the Steelers are looking at Eddie Faulkner or Mike Sullivan to fill that role. Mike Tomlin didn’t rule out the fact that they were options, but expressed his interest in filling that role using outside candidates, meaning someone not currently employed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The die-hard yinzers probably had tears in their eyes hearing this, as the Pittsburgh Steelers are known, traditionally, to hire positions of importance like this from within. It’s no secret to anyone paying attention that, for the better part of the last seven-or-so years, the Steelers’ offense has been putrid. One of the worst in the NFL, in fact. Mike Tomlin acknowledging that the lack of points being scored, and the inability to keep defenses off-balance has been impeding our success, especially in the postseason, and the fact that he is looking externally for offensive-minded coaches to come in and help us out is awesome.
Of course, Coach Tomlin was going to have to address the Kenny Pickett-Mason Rudolph-Mitch Trubisky situation at some point during this press conference. When asked if Kenny Pickett was QB1 heading into the offseason, Mike Tomlin said yes, while adding that there will be competition, whether that be Mason Rudolph or someone from the outside. I don’t think Mitch Trubisky will be in a Pittsburgh Steeler uniform next year, but that’s just me. Mike Tomlin added that he still has tons of confidence in Kenny Pickett’s ability to be our quarterback of the future, and that he’s excited to keep working with him. The same yinzers that got excited when he spoke about hiring an OC from the outside probably turned the press conference off when Mike Tomin said this, but what else was he going to say? That Kenny sucks and they’re moving on?
Here’s my thing: our offense struggled with Kenny Pickett in there. There was definitely a spark when he got hurt and Mason took over the position (albeit after a shitty three-game stint with Mitch Trubisky), and there should’ve been a spark. Why? Because Mason Rudolph has been in this league for five, going on six years, and he got to spend several years sitting in as the backup behind one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL; certainly the best quarterback in Steeler history, Ben Roethlisberger. If you wanna argue that Mason Rudolph should’ve been the starter this year, fine. But, don’t tell me that Kenny Pickett’s time in Pittsburgh should just be done and over with. Kenny Pickett has two things that many young quarterbacks don’t have (Mason Rudolph included) and that is: he doesn’t turn the football over, and his play gets better as the game wanes and gets tighter. You’re not going to teach a young quarterback to be clutch; it can’t be done. Kenny Pickett is clutch. So, let's get the kid in a better offensive system and allow him to grow just like Mason Rudolph grew, as was evident in his play this year versus years past. Kenny Pickett is QB1, and I might be alone on this, but I’m really happy and excited about it.
The last bit of significant news that came out of this press conference, in my opinion, pertains to Mike Tomlin’s future coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was reported earlier this week that he would be back for 2024, which he confirmed on Wednesday. He also spoke about the transparency of his relationship with the Rooney family, and how he expects that a contract extension will get done when the time is right, insinuating that he will be the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the foreseeable future. Like him or hate him, you can’t argue that with him, we have a shot at Super Bowl win number seven every single year. Bringing in some outside influences to bolster our coaching staff, while keeping him at the helm is the right thing to do, in my opinion. The question now becomes: is this just hot air or are the Pittsburgh Steelers actually going to follow through and hire somebody significant from the outside?
I don’t view the 2023 season as a complete wash and total waste of time. It was certainly heartbreaking, but for me, there’s tons to look forward to heading into next season. How about Keeanu Benton? This dude has the ability to be BIG TIME. All signs point up for him. We never got a look at Cory Trice this year, but do you remember the hype surrounding this kid coming into the season? What if that hype pays off? Imagine trying to throw on a secondary that includes Joey Porter Jr., Minkah Fitzpatrick, and another potential star, Cory Trice? Pair that with the growth and development of guys like Nick Herbig, and Keeanu Benton. In a defense that already includes TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, (hopefully) Cole Holcomb, and Kwon Alexander (assuming those two choose to come back). I mean, I can go on and on. This defense can be stacked. We have tons of weapons on offense too, but the trajectory of that group is going to be determined, in large part, by who we bring in as offensive coordinator and the growth of Kenny Pickett.
It’s the offseason, and for some reason, I’m excited as if we have a game this Sunday. I can’t wait to watch everything unfold.
Here. We. Go.
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