Since 2007, many coaches, coordinators and players have come and left Steel City. But there’s one name that has continued to assert his dominance over the years. Mike Tomlin, who has kept his historic run of consecutive winning seasons going for the last 18 campaigns, knows all too well how to handle his players. NFL seasons can be long—longer than those 18 weeks if you count the OTAs and playoffs. So, for a coach, this job can be tougher than hopping on the gridiron. As for Tomlin, he seems to have found a way to keep doing his stuff from the sidelines. An ousted tight end who lasted just a season in Pittsburgh revealed something interesting in Tomlin that other NFL coaches probably don’t possess.
10-year veteran MyCole Pruitt opened up on his one-year experience with the Steelers. In his interview with the Steelers Takeaways, Pruitt spilled about behind-the-scenes interaction between Tomlin and Broderick Jones. As you know, Jones is a former 14th overall pick for the Steelers. He has spent two seasons playing as the right tackle in the Steelers’ defense. And this season, he will be lining up as the team’s starting left tackle. But his role on the team isn’t the concern. What Pruitt tried to point out is how Tomlin used to interact with guys like Broderick.
“The way Mike T. does things—it’s always a bit different from other coaches. The way he interacts with guys. Broderick Jones and Mike would go back and forth on the sidelines playfully,” Pruitt shared. Now you might be thinking Oh! Tomlin is a happy-go-lucky person. But hold your horses. “Mike T. was less playful that Broderick. He would tell Broderick that if he did that again, something bad would happen to him, then would see me there watching and wink at me and keep going,” Pruitt added.
December 8, 2024, Pittsburgh, Pa, USA: December 8, 2024: Head Coach Mike Tomlin during the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh PA. Brook Ward / Apparent Media Group Pittsburgh USA – ZUMAa234 20241208_zsa_a234_137 Copyright: xAMGx
It could probably be Tomlin channeling his inner toughness to keep his guys on track. Considering he winked at Pruitt after kind of scolding Broderick, he was just being playful. As for Pruitt, he didn’t have the Steelers chapter he would have wanted. He saw limited opportunities and only caught 6 catches on 10 targets for 40 yards. His only TD came in a 34-17 loss to divisional rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. Now a free agent, Pruitt carries the expectation of getting a second chance from the Steelers if they want.
“I would definitely appreciate coming back if it’s in the cards,” Pruitt mused. Whether or not the Steelers take another chance on him—that’s a different question. Meanwhile, their former running back Najee Harris’s comments after leaving the Steelers caught Mike Tomlin’s attention.
Mike Tomlin doesn’t care about Najee Harris’ subtle shot at his former home
“My time in Pittsburgh, it was a lot of learning things, a lot of learning experiences. Playing for Mike T, playing in that division, there were a lot of ways I didn’t even realize what the NFL was really about until I came to Pittsburgh,” Harris said after leaving the Steelers with 4 years of memories. Once his rookie contract expired, the Steelers didn’t offer him a new deal or a franchise tag. So, after hitting the free agency, Harris was scoped by the Chargers on a one-year deal. And the moment he stepped foot in their LA facility, Harris took a subtle shot at the Steelers’ facility.
Credits-Karl Roser
“It’s a great weight room, first of all. Even the facility, is all great things…It’s not like this everywhere. It’s not. Man, yeah, I’m just happy to be here,” Harris expressed after taking a tour of the Chargers facility. Once, his critical comments about the Steelers’ facility went viral. Tomlin was even asked to express what he thought about Harris’ jibe at his former home. “I’m not going to comment on someone else’s opinion. Everyone’s entitled to theirs,” Tomlin replied.
Now, the Steelers’ head coach may have shown he wasn’t bothered by Harris’ comments. However, the Steelers are indeed lagging behind the rest of the league in terms of state-of-the-art facilities. For two consecutive years, the Steelers were ranked No.28 out of 32 teams in the NFLPA’s annual facilities report card. So, this only means Harris wasn’t kidding around on his comments about the Steelers being stuck in the Stone Age. They need to make some key improvements. Otherwise, Harris won’t be the only one revealing their shortcomings behind the scenes.
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