In a recent and well-publicized interview with, among others, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark, Mike Tomlin sounded nothing short of excited about seeing what lay beyond the certitude of having a franchise quarterback.
After all, as Tomlin's critics are quick to point out, he had Ben Roethlisberger to start every one of his previous 15 seasons. This, of course, overlooks the fact that other coaches who have had Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks such as Sean Payton in New Orleans or Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, have had losing seasons despite the presence of players at the position who are widely considered better than Roethlisberger.
But we digress.
Speaking to Clark and others on The Pivot podcast, Tomlin said he is "excited about being uncomfortable" regarding the Steelers' quarterback situation in 2022.
"I’m looking forward to the anxiety associated with that uncertainty," Tomlin said. "To have to stand and deliver, to live out what we believe in — the standard is the standard. It’s like McDonald’s. You know what a No. 1 is. It doesn’t matter what corner of the globe, a No. 1 is a No. 1, and that’s what I want Pittsburgh Steelers football to be. So it doesn’t matter who puts their hands underneath the center, as far as I’m concerned. But, with all that cool stuff being said, it’s scary. But exciting.”
Are those his true feelings?
Everything about this offseason seems to point in that direction.
First, Tomlin and staff attacked assessing the rookie quarterback class as if their lives depended on it. They spent multiple hours with all of the top quarterbacks in this year's draft class, wining and dining them, as well, before taking Kenny Pickett in the first round of the NFL Draft.
This came after the Steelers made an immediate push in free agency to sign quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
Quarterback is the most important position in any team sport. If you aren't good at quarterback, you likely won't be a good football team.
But all along, Tomlin has seemed unfazed by the retirement of Roethlisberger.
This despite the fact that while Roethlisberger wasn't his old self, he still pulled the team's bacon out of the fire with seven game-winning drives and six fourth-quarter comebacks, both of which led the NFL last season.
So, with two new quarterbacks, one of whom -- likely Trubisky -- being the starter for the 2022 season, Tomlin was comfortable enough with the team's participation in its offseason training program that Tomlin cut it short by a week.
That doesn't sound at all like the move of a coach fretting over the unknown.
He explained that, to some degree, as well, in his interview with Clark.
"In some instances, we might have familiar guys in familiar roles, but nothing stays the same," Tomlin said. "I work with an edge this time of year, with a level of excitement that anticipates some newness, whether it's new people or whether it's old people evolving in some way. Really excited about where we are and getting to work to kind of meet the challenges that await us."
That's always been the case. It's why each season stands as its own singular event. There's typically a turnover of about 20 players on a 53-man roster every season. That, in itself, makes each season stand on its own merit.
But perhaps the biggest reason Tomlin is so bullish on his current team is a big improvement from a depth standpoint, particularly when measured against previous seasons.
For example, Roethlisberger took a pay cut to stay with the Steelers in 2021. He still accounted for nearly 14 percent of the team's salary cap. That was actually down from some seasons. In 2016, for example, he accounted for 15.2 percent of the team's cap space.
This year, Trubisky, Mason Rudolph and Pickett account for less than 5 percent of the team's salary cap space.
The Steelers are deeper on their offensive line. They're deeper on their defensive line. And those were clearly two trouble spots in 2021.
Tomlin also likes to play the underdog. And his Steelers are clearly that in 2022.
But, of coaches who have been in the NFL for at least 10 seasons, his .510 winning percentage against opponents who have finished the season above .500 is the highest of any active coach. Better than Bill Belichick (.497). Better than Andy Reid (.452).
He does his best work when the expectations for his teams aren't high.
Remember 2019? Roethlisberger played six quarters. And the Steelers lost both of those games.
Somehow, Tomlin cobbled together an 8-6 record with Rudolph and Duck Hodges starting at quarterback.
In 2013, with the vast majority of the teams that went to three Super Bowls -- winning two -- from 2005 through 2010 either closing in on the end of their careers or already in retirement, the Steelers overcame an 0-4 and 2-6 start to the season to finish 8-8.
Maybe that is something in which Tomlin finds comfort. He understands what it takes to keep a team focused on the big picture in the NFL, largely because he's done it before.
And a big part of that is not changing the message from week-to-week or year-to-year.
As Tomlin likes to say, the standard is the standard.
Critics will point to the Steelers' 3-7 record in the postseason since 2010. That's fair. But it's also fair to point out that making the playoffs seven times in that period -- a good chunk of which was spent in transition from those Super Bowl teams and in cap hell of some form or fashion -- isn't bad.
You'd like to have more postseason victories. You'd like to have another Super Bowl win. Everyone would.
For the Steelers, the goal every season is to win the Super Bowl. It is again this season.
Is it a realistic goal this season? Probably not.
But winning a championship should be the goal of every professional franchise every year.
Unfortunately, that is not the case for every franchise in Pittsburgh.
Tomlin has a right to be excited about the future. The Steelers will field one of the youngest offenses in the NFL. That group should only continue to get better. They could have a dominant defense if things fall into place.
They have perhaps the league's best defensive player in T.J. Watt -- and if he's not, he's certainly in the top 3. He's one of the few defensive players in the league who can completely take over a game.
So, there's a lot to like about this team.
There's also a fair amount of uncertainty. But that doesn't seem to bother Tomlin.
