Tomlin remains ‘on go’ for Steelers through ‘24, beyond

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin speaks during a postseason press conference at the team’s NFL practice facility in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin remains “on the road” in Pittsburgh.

The same will apply in 2024 and beyond. The NFL’s longest-tenured coach said Thursday he plans to return to the Steelers after 18 seasons on the brink of burnout and is considering resigning.

When asked if he ever told anyone he needed a break, Tomlin shook his head and laughed, “No.” He said his passion for his work grew over a career that included a Super Bowl ring and a playoff drought. It’s been seven years and they’re 31-17 after Monday’s loss to Buffalo. The Steelers are 10-8 in Tomlin’s 17 seasons and haven’t finished below .500 since Bill Cowher took over in January 2007.

But Pittsburgh has been on a streak since reaching the AFC title game in 2016 that includes five 8-10 seasons and four quick playoff appearances. Tomlin believes the Steelers have closed the gap on the teams playing in the divisional round this weekend, but admits it doesn’t matter.

“The whole thing is ugly, it’s true,” Tomlin said. “They are not rated for inhalation. Everything is rotten. “I prefer to work.”

Instead, Tomlin will spend the next few weeks interviewing offensive coordinators (candidates he believes will come from outside the organization) and preparing for the NFL draft and free agency.

Tomlin is entering the final year of his contract extension in 2021. After the Steelers lost to the Bills, he immediately left rather than answer questions about it. Three days later, Tomlin admitted that “I could have handled the situation better than I did,” but said he didn’t think now was the time or place to discuss his future. The future of Pittsburgh. He declined to elaborate on whether he would sign team president Art Rooney Jr. to a multiyear contract, but he also wasn’t concerned about the length (or lack thereof) of the new deal. “I think it came at the right time,” Tomlin said. “But my mindset is to coach a football team.”

Tomlin’s presence could be one of the few constants this offseason for a team that still has many questions to answer in the coming months. The biggest is at quarterback, where Kenny Pickett has flashed like lightning in his completely uneven first season as a starter. Pickett threw just six touchdowns in 12 games before undergoing surgery to repair his right ankle in early December. The 2022 first-round pick is back, but the past few weeks have seen former third baseman Mason Rudolph make a late push to get the Steelers into the playoffs.

Tomlin said he is “very confident in Pickett” and praised the intangibles Pickett brings. But entering his third season, Pickett needs to provide tangible evidence of progress.

“We know this is a big year for him,” Tomlin said. “But I’m glad he took on this part. Because I know how it’s assembled and how it’s made. I’m really excited to see how he attacks her.

Rudolph went 3-1 as a starter, throwing five touchdown passes to one interception. He is also set to become a free agent in March, but Tomlin said the team is interested in having Rudolph compete again for Pickett next summer.

“We’re going to speculate a little bit on (Rudolph’s) likelihood because he has evidence and evidence for a (harder) case,” Tomlin said. Linebacker Mitch Trubisky, who struggled to relieve Pickett and was forced to earn an $8.3 million salary, is unlikely to be involved. While the Steelers have the option to bring in an outside linebacker to tackle, Pittsburgh spent a lot of money on Pickett and will have to decide if he’s “the guy” in 2024 or if it’s time to move on. Who calls the plays will have a huge impact on Pickett’s future. After moving to interior offensive coordinators in 2018 and 2021, the Steelers will look elsewhere to revitalize an offense that has finished in the bottom third of the NFL in scoring four of the last five years. Interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner and interim play-caller Mike Sullivan will not be considered, although their production has increased in recent weeks following the firing of Matt Canada in November.

“I want us to be versatile and dynamic,” Tomlin said. “Obviously we should have scored more points. We want to balance the defense. “We want to use all the talent we have,” he said.

Tomlin’s goal is to help the Steelers find a way to win another championship. It’s an emotionally and physically demanding task that I think will stick with him nearly two decades after Pittsburgh plucked him from relative obscurity and handed him the keys to one of the NFL’s greatest games. club. Franchise.

There have been some downturns over the years, but not as many as he would have liked. Unless the season ends in a blizzard of confetti during the Super Bowl, his frustration will only deepen as he gets older.

He said, “Sometimes I don’t like the past (sadness).” “Sometimes you want to sit here for a while and try to get better, and honestly, that’s how I feel here today.