“Leadership at the highest level”: Former NFL GM praises Mike Tomlin’s ability to get the best out of players

Mike Tomlin is one of the best head coaches in the NFL, but not everyone is a fan of his coaching style. Tomlin has his critics, but he keeps the Pittsburgh Steelers competitive. When you look at their offense over the last few years, that's an incredible accomplishment.

In a recent episode of his podcast “The GM Shuffle,” former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi went into detail about what makes Tomlin so special.

“Tomlin is the best example of someone who understands leadership at the highest level,” Lombardi said. “Would I say Mike Tomlin is the best chess player ever to coach? No, I wouldn't say that. I think he's good. I think he knows what he's doing. But where Mike Tomlin differs from most people is: How do I get Player A to play at a higher level?

“How do I get Player B to perform better? How do I get the whole team to perform better? I think he does that with his messaging. I don't think there's a better storyteller than Mike Tomlin.”

That's probably the best description of Tomlin you can find. He's struggled with things like time management and winning tackles, but he's the ultimate motivator. There were several times when it looked like the Steelers were going to hit rock bottom, but then Tomlin got them back into the playoff race.

One of the best examples of this is the 2019 season. After virtually just one game, the Steelers lost franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. With Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges as backup quarterbacks, it looked like the Steelers were doomed. Although they missed the playoffs, they managed to finish the season with a record of 8-8.

Compare that to some other teams that have lost their superstar quarterback for the season. Last year, the New York Jets went 7-10 after losing Aaron Rodgers. The Los Angeles Chargers lost Justin Herbert late last year and finished the season with a 5-12 record. The 2011 Indianapolis Colts lost nearly every game after Peyton Manning sat out that season with a neck injury.

There are so many other examples. It's not often that a team bounces back after losing its starting quarterback. Tomlin still does that kind of magic. Since Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have been a disaster at quarterback, but somehow they still manage to win games. That's Tomlin's doing.

There are reasons why Tomlin received a contract extension this offseason despite not winning a playoff game since 2016. His leadership qualities would be incredibly difficult to replace. On the other hand, the grass always seems to be greener. This year, with an improved offense, the Steelers should be in a better position to win a playoff game. We'll see if Tomlin can continue to prove Lombardi right.