The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a position to compete for another Lombardi Trophy in 2024. However, while that all sounds good in the offseason, the team needs to put their performance together on the field to actually prove it to Steeler Nation. The feeling of disappointment persists in the locker room, considering the lack of postseason success in recent years.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Owner Art Rooney II walks the sideline during a Steelers' game.
Despite that lack of recent postseason success, the Steelers decided to award Head Coach Mike Tomlin with a new three-year contract that locks him in as the team's head coach through 2027, eliminating any questions about the support the team has for him.
Even though the organization appears to have unwavering confidence in Tomlin, that isn't necessarily true throughout the rest of the world, as the fan base and media tend to be divided on whether or not Tomlin deserves all the praise he normally receives. Some even say he is the problem behind their lack of success, and that the team won't be able to turn it around until he grows as a coach or the team chooses to move in another direction.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin on the sideline during a regular season game.
When discussing the Steelers and their outlook for this season during an episode of his podcast, 2 Pros & A Cup Of Joe, former NFL quarterback, Brady Quinn let his thoughts be known that he believes Tomlin's inability to evolve as a coach is what fans should truly be worrying about if they want to win another Super Bowl.
"I think the biggest concern for Pittsburgh fans is, can he [Tomlin] evolve from when he won his last Super Bowl, to have this string of success. But is he going to be able to have this string of success ultimately pop to a Super Bowl. I think it takes that evolution of him as a coach, and maybe we saw a little bit of that last year finally moving on from Matt Canada."
One of the largest criticisms of Tomlin from pretty much everyone has been his inability to make change due to him being incredibly loyal to a fault. That loyalty builds immense trust with his players, as well as a tremendous amount of respect around the league, but when that loyalty leads to someone like Matt Canada having control of the offense for far too long, it leads to people pounding their fist on the table wanting change.
Part of that is undoubtedly the Steelers Way as well, as the franchise is known as a very stable organization that has always resisted making quick, gut reaction changes. However, in today's NFL, organizations that don't adapt quickly to how fast the game is changing get left behind. Tomlin has shown he has the ability to correct the course time and time again in terms of getting enough wins to avoid a losing season, but if that doesn't lead to playoff success this season, the "Fire Canada" chant might have a new tune sooner rather than later.
Steelers.com
Steelers' new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith speaks to the media during his first offseason as a member of the coaching staff.
Steelers' Hire Of Arthur Smith Is Bringing Back Hope To The Offense
No one will even attempt to defend the last three years of abysmal offense that everyone was forced to watch while Canada was running the show and calling the plays. From predictable play-calling, to basic concepts, or just undisciplined performances across the board, Canada didn't have control of the offense from an execution or leadership standpoint. The hiring of Arthur Smith this offseason, someone with success as an NFL offensive coordinator and experience as a head coach, appears to be already addressing many of those shortcomings.
The players have already been very outspoken when it comes to Smith's offense and leadership, as a lot of the young players in the Steelers' offense have only ever experienced an offense run by Canada (except for a few games called by Mike Sullivan at the end of 2023). Smith's offense was able to maximize the talents of many players during his time calling plays with the Tennessee Titans, and that is something that many are expecting him to do with the Steelers, as they have some players on offense that their talents haven't always been utilized in a way that they consistently perform at their highest level.
Is Tomlin really the issue that is holding this team back due to him not evolving as a coach? Let us know below!
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