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NFL Analyst Blasts Steelers HC Mike Tomlin

One NFL analyst believes Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is assessed too highly.

Jack Markowski

Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Dallas won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Dallas won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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Despite his standing as one of the more prolific head coaches in league history, Mike Tomlin continues to receive criticism from all corners of the NFL world whenever the Pittsburgh Steelers falter, even if just a little bit.

Danny Parkins was the latest pundit to take a shot at Pittsburgh's head man on an episode of FS1'sBreakfast Ball, stating that Tomlin is the most overrated coach in the league and is living off of his past glory.

"He deserves a ton of respect for doing more with less," Parkins said. "Never having a losing season is incredible. With Mike Tomlin, you have a very good floor, you have a good culture, you have an eloquent, impressive leader who commands a room. All those things, I would never take away from him. But, I would also say, he's the single most overrated coach in the NFL. This guy is living off of a Super Bowl from 16 years ago with a quarterback that he didn't bring in. In the postseason, since that Super Bowl, he is 5-9."

Parkins, in his defense, did offer plenty of praise for the culture Tomlin has cultivated in Pittsburgh in addition to his qualities as a leader, which have made him the revered coach that he is today.

On the other hand, however, it feels a bit shallow to claim he's thought of too highly within league circles or by the general public. Sure, the Steelers have not won a postseason game in eight years, but that's not necessarily the barometer that should be used to assess his recent performance.

Like Parkins himself mentioned, Tomlin has yet to endure a losing season during his 18 years in Pittsburgh. He has the 11th-most wins of any head coach in NFL history at 176 and consistently has his team punching above their weight, which isn't an attribute any "overrated" head coach would possess.

It's fine to be a bit jaded by the lack of postseason success and rather lengthy Super Bowl drought for one of the world's most recognizable sports brands, but that doesn't mean Tomlin isn't the right person for the job. He's accomplished things that no other head coach ever has, and there's a reason for that.

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Jack Markowski
JACK MARKOWSKI

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