When and where: Week 10 at home following the bye
Key additions: HC Mike McCarthy, CB Jamel Dean, RB Rico Dowdle, WR Michael Pittman
Key subtractions: HC Mike Tomlin, G Isaac Seumalo, RB Kenneth Gainwell
Last season: Energy vampire Aaron Rodgers came to town and took Mike Tomlin’s will to coach
The question for this team: How much of the Steelers was held together by Mike Tomlin?
Mike Tomlin hadn’t won a playoff game since 2016. Over the years a growing segment of Steelers fans pointed to him as the reason
why the team could not advance in January. His QBs were a collection of old guys: an aging Ben Roethlisberger, Kenny Pickett, the remains of Russell Wilson, and 42 year old Aaron Rodgers. Hard to win with that. And yet, Tomlin kept winning, infamously never having a losing season.
Tomlin was probably past his expiration date, but the Steelers weren’t going to boot him unless they had to. Tomlin made it easy for everyone and decided to walk away. With no head coach or QB under contract but with the rest of the roster aging but playoff caliber, the Steelers had the rare opportunity to reset the direction of the franchise without having to reset the roster.
Instead, they brought back Aaron Rodgers and hired 62-year-old Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy has done absolutely nothing to shake the idea that he got the job in part because he spent a summer working a turnpike toll booth. Presumably the interview was catered by Primanti Brothers, if not at it.
In no way, shape, or form is McCarthy an upgrade from Tomlin. He doesn’t bring any energy, new ideas, or an A-list staff. He isn’t a guy who just wins, as he’s had four losing seasons in his last seven, and was fired twice. Since Tomlin’s last playoff win McCarthy has just one playoff win and three appearances.
Sometimes the most uninspiring hire of a coaching cycle turns out to be the best because no one knows who is a good head coach until they’re a head coach. There’s no mystery with McCarthy, we know who and what he is. He underachieved with Aaron Rodgers in his prime in Green Bay, and now he gets the totally cooked version of him in Pittsburgh.
With little changes to the team other than head coach, we are going to find out this year just how important Mike Tomlin was to the Steelers.
The guess is, quite important.
