Ryan Clark: Let Tomlin go find his Kansas City

[WindyCitySteel]

Not listing all the reasons I did in the other thread about why I think Reid is head and shoulders above Tomlin, but I’d love for this to happen. Although, even if Rooney was ready to move on, I don’t think 31 teams are lining up around the block as media members often suggest. The playoff teams are probably not moving on for Tomlin, LAC isn’t moving from Harbs after one year, Dallas has their guy, Chicago has their guy, which leaves half the teams in the league, most of whom are missing a QB, have bad rosters, and/or dysfunctional cultures.

He’d likely not get the absolute power to control everything the way he has in Pittsburgh, and certainly not the patience the front office in Pittsburgh has shown with him.

I also wonder if Edelman didn’t pull back the curtain a bit on what coaches and players around the league really think — that he’s not an X’s and O’s guy. Or at the very least, he’s stuck in the 90s. Would they let him rebuild their team from scratch? He’s never had to do that in Pittsburgh, which would have come with job security. In the next place, it won’t.

I think when Rooney finally has had enough, Tomlin leaves the game as a one helmet guy and goes to a studio show. This is the real Mike Tomlin problem — he needs the Steelers more than they need him.

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/01/let-mike-t-go-find-his-kansas-city-ryan-clark-suggests-steelers-tomlin-split/

[Northern_Blitz]

There are certainly not 31 teams that would hire him right away. But he'd get a job right away if he wanted one.

Heck, Cowher could probably have a job right away even now if he wanted one.

[WindyCitySteel]

There are certainly not 31 teams that would hire him right away. But he'd get a job right away if he wanted one.

Heck, Cowher could probably have a job right away even now if he wanted one.

A job he wanted? Or could do? Hiring inexperienced, puppet coordinators and wowing the media with cliches isn’t bringing Cleveland or the Jets a Super Bowl.

[Buzz]

No other team would give him the plum combination of control and job security that he has with the Steelers, and he knows it
And Art II loves him

Tomlin is here as long as he wants to be
if he leaves, I doubt it will be for another pro coaching gig, maybe for a TV job

[WindyCitySteel]

No other team would give him the plum combination of control and job security that he has with the Steelers, and he knows it
And Art II loves him

Tomlin is here as long as he wants to be
if he leaves, I doubt it will be for another pro coaching gig, maybe for a TV job

Yup, he’s far too comfortable. This is as much a Rooney issue.

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/he-is-too-comfortable-mike-tomlin-has-nobody-to-challenge-him-steelers-reporter-says/

[NorthCoast]

Yup, he’s far too comfortable. This is as much a Rooney issue.

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/he...reporter-says/

Rooney is too comfortable.

[feltdizz]

There are certainly not 31 teams that would hire him right away. But he'd get a job right away if he wanted one.

Heck, Cowher could probably have a job right away even now if he wanted one.

Teams like the Jets, Browns and Bears would kill to have a head coach who could get them to the playoffs 70% of the time.

[Northern_Blitz]

A job he wanted? Or could do? Hiring inexperienced, puppet coordinators and wowing the media with cliches isn’t bringing Cleveland or the Jets a Super Bowl.

We apparently know that teams have asked if they can trade for him in the last two seasons.

Seems pretty reasonable that if he was fired, he could get another NFL coaching job.

[WindyCitySteel]

We apparently know that teams have asked if they can trade for him in the last two seasons.

Seems pretty reasonable that if he was fired, he could get another NFL coaching job.

Sure, but again, does he want to rebuild a bad team where he wouldn’t have the control he has in Pittsburgh?

[WindyCitySteel]

Teams like the Jets, Browns and Bears would kill to have a head coach who could get them to the playoffs 70% of the time.

Tomlin has never taken over a bad team and made them a good one, he would have to do that will less control than he has in Pittsburgh, working for an ownership group with much less patience.

[whatever]

Tomlin has never taken over a bad team and made them a good one, he would have to do that will less control than he has in Pittsburgh, working for an ownership group with much less patience.

Tomlin isn’t dumb.
He knows he isn’t capable to building a winning team. He knows he would be exposed if he tried.

[Northern_Blitz]

Sure, but again, does he want to rebuild a bad team where he wouldn’t have the control he has in Pittsburgh?

It's impossible to know. No matter how much fanfic you write.

But we do know that he didn't run away from the opportunity to rebuild this team like Peyton did in NO.

In the scenario where he gets fired and takes a new job, the team looking to hire him would probably be a bad team with a high draft pick. Which is the best way to get a good QB (even though it's probably only about a coin flip). That makes the chances of a successful rebuild better.

[WindyCitySteel]

It's impossible to know. No matter how much fanfic you write.

But we do know that he didn't run away from the opportunity to rebuild this team like Peyton did in NO.

Rebuild again, you mean? He took over the Browns of the NFC, who were 3-13 the year before, immediately poached Brees from San Diego and they won a Super Bowl a few years later and were a contender most of his time there. Left them after seasons of 11, 13, 13, 12, and 9 wins. Went to Denver, got as much as he could from Russ but realized it wasn’t enough, traded up for Nix and made the playoffs, while Tomlin dumpster dived for SP’s throwaway.

Another bad comp.

[Northern_Blitz]

Rebuild again, you mean? He took over the Browns of the NFC, who were 3-13 the year before, immediately poached Brees from San Diego and they won a Super Bowl a few years later and were a contender most of his time there. Left them after seasons of 11, 13, 13, 12, and 9 wins. Went to Denver, got as much as he could from Russ but realized it wasn’t enough, traded up for Nix and made the playoffs, while Tomlin dumpster dived for SP’s throwaway.

Another bad comp.

Sure...you can spin it however you like.

The point isn't to take a shot at Peyton. It's to say that any in-demand coach could chose a better situation to rebuild in if they wanted to.