Offensive replied: coach Tomlin said it’s a quick notice clarification concerning his resignation rumors and his……..more
Pittsburgh’s offensive woes hindered the team’s performance greatly in 2023, ranking as a bottom-five unit in points last season. The Steelers’ offense struggled throughout the season, failing to eclipse the 400-yard mark until Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and going over 300 yards just once in their first five games.
Pittsburgh found some consistency in their backfield, with Najee Harris producing over 1,000 yards for the third-straight season. Second-year back Jaylen Warren also enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, notching 149 carries for 784 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per carrAside from their offensive struggles, Pittsburgh also dealt with a number of injuries in 2023, placing five starters on Injured Reserve (IR) throughout last season. T.J. Watt, Kenny Pickett, and Minkah Fitzpatrick also missed time last season, but were not designated to IR during the season.
All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick saw a down year in 2023, failing to force a turnover for the first time in his career. Fitzpatrick was moved closer to the line of scrimmage due to a lack of depth at safety due to injuries. Tomlin led a top-10 defensive unit that let up an average of 19.1 points per game, the sixth-highest mark in the NFL, despite several significant injuries within the defens Tomlin kept his locker room grounded despite injuries and several players speaking out about the offense’s struggles. The Steelers managed to remain in the playoff hunt despite their issues, largely due to Tomlin’s contributions leading the team and coaching staff.
Tomlin’s efforts in the 2023 season may have ended with a playoff heartbreak, but it’s hard to imagine the Steelers staying level-headed through the adversity the team faced last season with any other coacPittsburgh’s options at head coach outside of Tomlin are very limited, to say the least. Not to mention Tomlin’s experience with the new wave of talent in Pittsburgh, with players like Watt, Fitzpatrick, Harris, and George Pickens among others.
Even if the Steelers elected to move on a coach like Bill Belichick or Mike Vrabel, neither of these coaches offer greater experience or expertise than Tomlin, leaving the team in the same spot without the same familiarity with the roster. Firing long-time coaches is a slippery slope in the NFL and can derail a team’s immediate and future succesTeams like the Carolina Panthers have elected to move on from their long-time head coaches, firing Ron Rivera during the 2019 season. Following their decision to move on from Rivera, the Panthers are now going on their sixth coach since the 2019 season after hiring Dave Canales to be their head coach for the 2024 season.
Sticking to their guns and extending Tomlin is Pittsburgh’s best bet at succeeding with their young core, as Tomlin not only brings a championship pedigree to their locker room, he also establishes proper gameplans to keep his teams competitive, no matter the roster in front of him.s.h.e.y.