The former Steelers drama won’t die, with Zach Banner weighing in—strongly—on James Harrison’s take on Mike Tomlin. While Ben Roethlisberger took the brunt of it from Joey Porter Sr. for his comments about Tomlin, Banner, who played with Roethlisberger but not Harrison, took strong objection to the latter’s comments.
To James Harrison, a guy that I stole from—I stole that gray sweatsuit look in the weight room because he used to wear it when he was playing. Someone who I used to literally look up to, not in real life because he’s 6-0, but on the camera. Let me bring the camera down to your level so you would understand this.
This right here is not only your perspective of me when you see me in person, my buff little friend, but what I think of your opinions at all when it comes to Mike Tomlin. You and your energy belong in spaces like the WWE, celebrity boxing matches. I could even see you being a little clay action figure on Celebrity Deathmatch. Maybe even South Park—I don’t know. But my point is this: shut your mouth about Coach T.
Mike Tomlin is largely responsible for making both Harrison’s and Banner’s careers. Bill Cowher cut Harrison several times. The Steelers parting with Porter under Tomlin opened the door for Harrison to take on a larger role. He ultimately won the Defensive Player of the Year Award and broke the team’s single-season sack record. T.J. Watt has since broken it multiple times, but nevertheless, he did it.
But James Harrison and Mike Tomlin have some history late in his career. A lot of it is he-said, he-said at this point, with differing interpretations. Harrison, for example, claims that Tomlin was dishonest with him about his playing time. Porter, who was on Tomlin’s coaching staff, suggested that Harrison didn’t understand he was being politely told he doesn’t have a place on the roster anymore.
Back in December, Harrison said, “I have never been a person that thought Coach Tomlin was a great coach. I thought he was a good coach”. He added, “Something has to be done. I know the Steelers historically don’t move on from coaches, but I think it’s time that history be made”.
Mike Tomlin did James Harrison one better by resigning from the Steelers at the end of the season. He finished his career with a 193-114-2 regular season record, but am 8-12 postseason record. While he advanced to two Super Bowls, winning one—with Harrison—he went nine years without a playoff win.
The Steelers were not planning to move on from Tomlin, according to Art Rooney II himself. He declined to discuss whether they would have signed him to another extension. However. It is likely Tomlin agreed something had to be done, though. Based on accounts of his parting words to the roster, he felt he failed them for their lack of playoff success. He tried to change just about everything else but himself—until he finally did.
Mike Tomlin faced many critics during his tenure in Pittsburgh, especially in the back half, and some will want to shoot the messenger here in Zach Banner. A man with under 400 career NFL snaps is telling a potential Hall of Famer to shut his mouth, even if it’s on one topic in particular. But Banner spent several years under Tomlin, too, in the time right after Harrison. They both have knowledge on the subject and are entitled to their opinions. How they express it may not be doing the current Steelers any favors, but hey, everybody’s got a podcast.
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