Colin Cowherd is one of the largest voices and faces of sports media in America.
When you are consistently in the crossfire of Cowherd, there is typically some smoke where there is fire. On Tuesday, Cowherd echoed what many locally in the media and fans have been thinking for quite some time.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, a franchise that hit the reset button with a new head coach and young quarterback. Chicago is 8-3 and trending upward, while
the Steelers are 6-5 and on their way back down.
Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season in his 18 years coaching the Steelers. If he wins three more games, the streak moves to 22 years in a row for the franchise, the most in the league. Does it really matter??
“I think it’s an arbitrary number that everybody in sports sees as having value,” Cowherd said on The Herd Tuesday. “I see it as an arbitrary number that doesn’t really mean anything.”
The Steelers have not had a losing season in 21 years, the season that set them up to draft Ben Roethlisberger 11th overall in 2003.
Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. I was a sophomore in high school. The Steelers have lost four of their last six games. Aaron Rodgers has a wrist injury, and Patrick Queen is publicly calling out the defensive scheme.
“He hasn’t won a playoff game in eight years,” Cowherd said. “He would be fired if he were the Eagles coach or the Cowboys coach. The New England, San Francisco, Green Bay, or the Ravens coach.”
Outside of Baltimore, each of these franchises has moved on from a coach in the last 10 years.
“In Pittsburgh, it’s old school,” Cowherd said. “They take pride in stuff like ‘we have not had a losing season in 21 years.’”
Most of the fans don’t, but it’s clear the owner does. Cowherd pointed out that in the same stretch, 60 NFL teams with winning records missed the playoffs. During those 21 seasons, the Steelers were .500 four times and four additional times one game over .500. He identified the Chiefs, Eagles, Rams, Buccaneers, and Patriots that bottomed out, had losing seasons, and were able to reset.
The most glaring example is the Patriots, who are a completely different team with Drake Maye being comfortable and having pass protection in the pocket with Mike Vrabel in his first season.
New England had a terrible 2023 season, moved on from Bill Belichick, drafted Maye, and hired Vrabel after one failed season with Belichick disciple Jerod Mayo.
Known for his comparisons and analogies, Cowherd compared the Steelers to a bland and stale franchise in the NBA.
“You know who has the longest streak in the NBA of not having a losing season?” Cowherd said. “The Clippers. 14. In their own city, the Lakers make fun of the Clippers.”
Ouch. The Steelers’ history is significantly better than the Clippers, who have never won an NBA title, but the present and the last 10 years tell a story that is all too familiar.
“Pittsburgh is a small city. I get it, it’s old school. You go to a party in Pittsburgh, you talk about ‘where did you go to high school?’” Cowherd said. “That’s like not a conversation in New York, Chicago, Philly, Boston, San Francisco, LA.”
Oddly enough, this does happen, but maybe more as a matter of pride and connection than anything. It is especially difficult to compare the top 10 market sizes in the country. Regardless, Cowherd has a point. He said the quiet part out loud. Some people may agree. Is it better for the Steelers to bottom out, move on from Mike Tomlin, draft a franchise quarterback, and turn over a new leaf with a completely new team identity?
“I would rather have the Steelers bottom out this year, and if Dante Moore’s available, go grab him,” Cowherd said. “Go get a legitimate franchise quarterback for 15 years, 12 of it in his prime.”
The likelihood of this happening feels slim, but the national media is pointing the finger in one place.
The Steelers have been outscored 73-0 in the first quarter of their last six playoff games. Non-losing seasons are one thing, but going to the playoffs and not even thinking you have a chance is a completely different story.
“Belichick and Andy Reid were let go,” Cowherd said. “It’s nothing against Mike. But this arbitrary 21 years without a losing record? It means nothing.”
