Despite the low expectations for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, Mike Tomlin has his team in first place in the AFC North at 6-2 through nine weeks.
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.
At the midsseason point, former NFL wide receiver Andrew Hawkins believes Tomlin should be NFL Head Coach of the Year.
“Mike Tomlin is the Coach of the Year,” Hawkins said on ESPN’s Get Up. “Look, they come into the season with two quarterbacks that nobody wanted. And there’s always a saying, if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. Well, what is the result? They’re 6-2 and atop the AFC North. Not only that, he makes a decision midseason that people in his own organization were scratching their head at. But, still, he stood on business and now we’re sitting here applauding what the Steelers have and now we’re calling them real life Super Bowl contenders.”
Tomlin currently has the sixth-best odds (+1000) to win NFL Coach of the Year, according to SportsBetting.ag.com. Tomlin is behind Dan Campbell (+900), Andy Reid (+900), Kevin O’Connell (+900), Sean Payton (+650) and Dan Quinn (+220).
.@hawk says Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the Coach of the Year 👀 pic.twitter.com/v3O1ji4w77
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 30, 2024
Tomlin’s bold decision to replace Justin Fields as the starting quarterback with Russell Wilson has paid off big. Through two games, Wilson has played like he did 10 years ago when he starred with the Seattle Seahawks. His ANY/A is at 9.34. His best previous career single-season mark was 7.73, way back in 2015. Last year, Brock Purdy led the entire NFL at 9.01.
“Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are kumbaying on the sideline, in the meeting room. [Tomlin] has a whole in this locker room that gives them hope, and they know he’s the clear leader and decision-maker that they trust unequivocally over anything anyone says on the outside,” Hawkins said.
Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman thinks the Steelers are a sleeper team. He also gave Tomlin his flowers for the change at quarterback.
“Yeah, Pittsburgh’s sneaky, man. Hey, you got to tip your cap to Tomlin to have the balls to do what he’s done. It looks like it’s working out because Russ, that team right now reminds me and gives me like, I’m not saying they are, but it’s like those Legion of Boom Super Bowl teams,” Edelman said on Pardon My Take. “Russ Wilson throws a teardrop here, deep ball there. He’s got an explosive receiver to get a good run game, and play really good defense and special teams.”