Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II addresses the rumors surrounding Mike Tomlin
Since the Pittsburgh Steelers' final game during this year's Wild Card round, rumors have surrounded the team regarding Mike Tomlin's status as head coach. Tomlin, whose name was synonymous with the team due to his decorated tenure in Pittsburgh, only has one year left on his contract. Now, Steelers owner Art Rooney II appears to have addressed the questions surrounding the veteran coach. Speaking to the media, Rooney stated that he still “feels good” about Tomlin and… He hinted at a contract extension Going forward, according to The Athletic's Mark Capoli.
Rooney's most prominent statements:
• I still believe in Pickett, need to play better at the QB position, and want Rudolph back.
• Do you want an OC that offers a “fresh approach”
• Said OC assigned 100% to Tomlin
• Highly praised rookie class
• Tomlin will get an extension and Rooney still feels good about him or he “wouldn't be here.”– Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) January 29, 2024
However, despite Rooney's faith in Tomlin, the team owner made it clear that the Steelers must start taking the “next steps” to achieve success in the playoffs. The last time Pittsburgh won a postseason outing was in 2016.
Art Rooney on the futility of the playoffs: “We've had enough of this. It's time to take the next steps.”
He also said that if he didn't believe in Tomlin then Tomlin wouldn't be here and he would make a change
– Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) January 29, 2024
Regardless, Mike Tomlin's resume shows that he is a championship-caliber coach. The Super Bowl title, along with two AFC championships and 11 playoff appearances, still gives Tomlin an experience advantage over many coaches in the league.
What the Steelers must address moving forward
As for the team, one of the factors in achieving more success next season falls largely on the team's midfielders. Kenny Pickett, the Steelers' 2022 draft pick, was the starter this season. After being sidelined for two weeks due to ankle surgery, Pickett returned in Week 18 but was moved to the backup position behind Mason Rudolph. At the moment, there has been no clear decision from the team on who will be entrusted with the role of main leader in 2024.
Additionally, the Steelers are still undergoing a search for an offensive coordinator after parting ways with Matt Canada midseason. While there are still a lot of questions to be addressed moving forward, Steel City fans can only hope that the team will find answers as soon as possible to ensure that 2024 delivers better results than previous years.
