Mike Tomlin Emerging as Early NFL Coach of Year Candidate

The host of The Deep Dive Gambling Podcast, Drew Dinsick, thinks Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin can finally win the NFL Coach of the Year award in 2024. 

Tomlin has yet to win the award despite a Super Bowl win, another appearance, and seven AFC North Championships as Steelers coach.

That could change this year, according to Dinsick. 

Appearing on VSiN’s A Numbers Game on Tuesday, Dinsick said, “The Mike Tomlin voodoo is so strong it makes me want to look at the coach of the year price a little bit more carefully.” 

Exceeding Low Expectations

Dinsick believes the low expectations for the 2024 Steelers are crucial for Tomlin winning the award.

“He finally got votes for the first time last year,” Dinsick said. “This was the year there was the least amount of support and belief this team was going to do anything. There was no preseason hype.”

The hype-less Steelers win total opened at a paltry 7.5 and increased to 8.5 before the season’s first week. Pittsburgh was also the longest-shot to win the AFC North at +1100. 

A quarterback platoon of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields didn’t spike the pulse of national prognosticators. 

Wilson, at 35, was clearly on the decline during his tenure with the Denver Broncos despite 26 TD passes and eight interceptions during the 2023 season. 

While supremely talented, Fields turned the ball over 69 times during his three-year tenure as the Chicago Bears starting QB. 

The Steelers also started the season with a thin offensive depth chart. They traded WR2 Dionte Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. Though the team attempted to replace Johnson with Brandon Aiyuk, he opted to stay with the San Francisco 49ers. 

Credit Where Credit is Due

Should current trends continue, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell will likely be Mike Tomlin’s main competition to win NFL Coach of the Year. O’Connell’s Vikings are 3-0 with wins against the Giants, 49ers, and Texans. 

Much like Justin Fields, Minnesota QB Sam Darnold is experiencing a career resurgence in 2024, passing for 657 yards and eight touchdowns through three weeks. 

Dinsick believes O’Connell is less deserving.

“So much of it (the credit) should go to Brian Flores and the defense, right?” he said. “It’s one thing to resurrect Sam Darnold’s career, but he was still a top-two pick, and you also have Justin Jefferson, who is a top-one non-quarterback in the NFL.”

Although the market is not available to Pennsylvania bettors, Mike Tomlin is +1000 to win NFL Coach of the Year, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Should the Steelers continue their expectation-defying trends and make the playoffs, Tomlin should emerge as a favorite to win the award.