PITTSBURGH — For those who tuned in to the first episode of “Hard Knocks: In Season With The AFC North,” they began to see what makes Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin so special, outside of his normal Tuesday press conferences. That has taken far too long for some, though.
With last Sunday’s 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Tomlin clinched his 18th consecutive non-losing season, the NFL record for the most consecutive non-losing seasons to start a coaching career.
What makes Tomlin so special goes far beyond wins, however. Steelers running back Najee Harris shared the unique effort he puts in on a daily basis to create lasting and meaningful relationships with players.
“He’s a players coach,” Harris said. “He’s gonna come in the locker room. Chop it up with us. Chill with us. Go in the training room. Talk about stuff besides football. Talk about life stuff. That makes you feel a little more comfort in this business that we’re in that’s so cutthroat. Not too many people, especially in that position as a head coach, will show that side. It’s always just football, football, football. But him, he’s showing a different side. He’s showing that you can have fun in this sport while being serious too. I think that’s why people want to play for him more. In my four years being here, people getting cut, people getting traded, all that. Not one person said anything bad about Mike T. That just shows you what type of person he is.”
Harris has spent the entirety of his NFL career with the Steelers thus far. So he can’t speak for the other head coaches around the league, but quarterback Russell Wilson can.
The 13-year veteran joined the Steelers this offseason following 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and two with the Denver Broncos. Wilson has had his fair share of coaches, highlighted by former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who he won Super Bowl XLVIII with, but Wilson seemed to place Tomlin at the top his ranking.
“He’s uncommon in the way he loves the game. He’s uncommon in his authenticity. I think he’s uncommon in his approach, his understanding of the game defensively and offensively,” Wilson said. “I think he’s the world’s best.”
Wilson has been pretty lucky in regards to the people he’s been coached by in the NFL, but the same can’t be said for everyone.
While Harris doesn’t have any personal experience of playing for any of the other 31 teams around the league, he has talked with some who have, and it’s safe to say he’s happy where he landed.
“He’s very transparent, too,” Harris said of Tomlin. “That’s one thing that I like. He’s not gonna sugarcoat nothing. He’s gonna be for real and be straight up with you, and I think that’s what you need in this sport. Talking to other guys, it’s not like that in other places.”
Tomlin’s coaching style is unique, but he gets the most out of his players every year. Last season, he somehow led the Steelers to the playoffs with quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky, who combined for just 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. All three are currently backups elsewhere.
Now, he has a championship-caliber quarterback in Wilson, who has already thrown 10 touchdowns in six games, and has the Steelers sitting atop the AFC North at 9-3.
Only time will tell if Tomlin can finally lead the Steelers to their first playoff win since the 2016 season, but this team feels different from previous years.
Tomlin, on the other hand, is not different. He’s just finally getting the recognition he deserves. Whether that will come in the form of an NFL Coach of the Year award is up for debate, but if Wilson and the rest of the Steelers talented roster continue playing the way they have, it may just be enough to help Tomlin win his first such award.
Yes, Tomlin needs to start winning in the postseason again, but the best way to do that is by getting the best out of his players. Wilson is confident Tomlin will continue to get just that.
“His motivation is embracing each player, each coach, each person in the organization,” Wilson said. “He wants our best. I think the best thing about it is he challenges us to be our best every day and I think that’s the part that I genuinely love about him.”