ESPN's programming this week included as many updates as it could piece together about the Aaron Rodgers free agency situation (not much), but did still include insightful commentary about the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team most expect Rodgers to sign with.
Former Steelers great Ryan Clark pitched a debate about head coach Mike Tomlin potentially exploring opportunities elsewhere amid Pittsburgh's uncertain quarterback situation (Rodgers or not). Many of Clark's colleagues chimed in.
"I believe Mike Tomlin should coach in another organization," said Clark, a former player under Tomlin. "Mike Tomlin should be a fresh voice somewhere else ... because I believe his voice has run stale there."
The basis of Clark's argument is that Tomlin has more or less reached his peak with the Steelers, and that he won't ever reach that mountaintop again unless he has an elite quarterback to coach.
NFL insiders Dominique Foxworth and Dan Graziano followed this argument to a point, but disagreed with the dip in Tomlin's authority with the team. They credited his historic streak of winning seasons as proof that he still has some grasp of the locker room, regardless of who is in it.
“Obviously, we all respect what Ryan Clark said and what his insight might be in the Steelers’ organization but there’s no evidence that Mike Tomlin’s message has gotten stale in Pittsburgh, at least not by the records they put out based on the talent that we’ve seen," Foxworth noted.
Graziano added: "I think the Steelers are getting as much, if not more, out of their rosters year after year as can be expected given the quarterback situation and the overall talent on the roster…I think the Steelers in the last couple years have kind of overachieved. I know the fans don’t want to hear it.”
So yes, Tomlin remains a great coach. But should he leave the Steel City with his sights set on greener pastures?
"He needs to go have his Andy Reid Kansas City run," Clark said.
Reid ended a long tenure as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles to coach the Chiefs in 2013. That was before Patrick Mahomes fell in their lap in the Draft, but the rest is history and Reid's KC tenure has cemented his legacy more than anything else could.
Peter Schrager brings an interesting point to the discussion. It could be much easier to see Tomlin's influence as a coach if you consider how many teams would want to hire him if he left Pittsburgh.
"There would be a line of probably 15 teams to hire him," Schrager said. "And, guess what? There would be a line of not only four broadcast networks but eleven streamers – whoever else, the NFL commissioner – to get him on a broadcast crew. So, Tomlin would still be the number one target in the offseason if he were to ever leave Pittsburgh.”
Rodgers certainly was an elite quarterback, but putting him in Pittsburgh at 41 years old doesn't guarantee any success that Tomlin couldn't enjoy with another organization.
In the end, Tomlin has had as much success as anyone could with the Steelers during his tenure - with an elite quarterback or not. He remains the longest-tenured coach in major North American sports for a reason and is looking to finish at or above .500 for the 19th season in a row.
You can argue that the last few years of that streak have barely satisfied fans, if at all, but if Rodgers were to sign with the Steelers for 2025, most of this argument would be null and void with Tomlin at least staying one more season.
Tomlin embodies everything the hard-working, disciplined and authentic city of Pittsburgh represents. It's hard to fathom a scenario where that loyalty falters and he leaves, but both sides of the coin show some fair reasoning.
Like the rest of us, Tomlin is stuck waiting on a signing decision from Rodgers. But with this rumor, we could begin waiting on a decision from Tomlin on if his time in Pittsburgh is in fact coming to an end.