Ryan Clark Thinks Mike Tomlin Should ‘Look Into’ Leaving Steelers
Like it or not, Mike Tomlin will have a bust in Canton someday. He’s never had a losing season in 18 years as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, only Bill Belichick and Tom Landry have more consecutive non-losing seasons. But with Tomlin not having won a playoff game in nearly a decade, many think his message has grown stale in Pittsburgh. That’s why former Steelers free safety Ryan Clark wonders if Tomlin should consider his options and leave the Steel City.
“Coach Tomlin should look into whether or not his voice is better suited somewhere else,” Clark said to TMZ. “Whether or not the cache that he will carry from what he’s done in Pittsburgh will help another locker room more than it’s helping the locker room in Pittsburgh. Andy Reid’s voice seemed to have lost a little steam in Philadelphia that was picked up in Kansas City. I believe that can be an answer for Mike Tomlin.”
Despite Clark wondering if Tomlin would be better suited elsewhere. He by no means thinks he should be fired.
“I think you’re in a place where you’re trying to figure out are they overachieving early or underachieving late? And I believe answering that question is your answer to whether or not coach Tomlin should be elsewhere. Here’s the thing I’m going to say and I want this to be the headline that this is used. Coach Tomlin should not be fired,” Clark said. “Coach Tomlin is too good of a football coach. He’s accomplished too much. His resume is too long and it’s still too strong to be fired. I’m saying that coach Tomlin should look into whether or not his voice is better suited somewhere else.”
Tomlin has gone one-and-done in the playoffs eight times. Only former Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer’s has more one-and-done appearances in the postseason (9).
The Steelers’ playoff win drought was extended to eight years after their 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Saturday night. Only the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals have longer playoff win droughts than the Steelers.
Clark compared the hot topic conversation of Mike Tomlin’s status as the team’s head coach as man who gives a woman everything she wants, yet she doesn’t feel bliss.
“We all know the couple that are the topic of conversation on a girl’s trip. The man is amazing. He’s good to you. He’s loyal. Works hard, consistent, & honest… but something’s missing. That’s where Tomlin & the @Steelers are. He’s been good, but not good enough to win it all lately. Smart friends will say stay, Your single home girl will say, “you can have it all”. Truth is you probably won’t find better, but you know humans… they always think they can! What do you do?” Clark wrote on X.
Clark thinks things could be a lot worse for the Steelers franchise. He said they could be a bottom-dweller like the Jacksonville Jaguars. … Although, the Jaguars do have three playoff wins since the Steelers last playoff victory.
“Is Mike Tomlin overachieving early on in the season, or is he underachieving in the playoffs? Is this team that always seems prepared in big games during the season, but has fallen behind by at least 14 in their last five playoff trips, are they not ready? Are they not maintaining the message from the meeting room to the football field?” Clark pondered on ESPN’s NFL Live.
“And if you feel like that, you have to have the conversation. Can we have a higher ceiling? But here is what you’re gonna have to deal with. We could also end up being the Jacksonville Jaguars. This team doesn’t know what it feels like to only win five games, to win six games, to be the Las Vegas Raiders this year. And I believe that’s a tough decision you have to make when Lombardi Trophies are the most important thing in your life.”
During his season-ending press conference on Tuesday, Tomlin was rather direct when asked about any team who may inquire about his availability in a potential trade.
“I have no message. Save your time,” Tomlin said.
Tomlin signed a three-year, $50 million contract extension that will keep him in Pittsburgh through 2027 last offseason, so it appears he won’t be leaving anytime soon.