{"id":297124,"date":"2025-11-20T13:35:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T13:35:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/297124\/"},"modified":"2025-11-20T13:35:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T13:35:18","slug":"steelers-mike-tomlin-remains-among-top-respected-nfl-coaches-as-this-week-proves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/297124\/","title":{"rendered":"Steelers Mike Tomlin Remains Among Top Respected NFL Coaches As This Week Proves"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you spend a lot of time on social media, first of all, stop. Live a real life. But if you do, you might mistakenly come to the conclusion that Mike Tomlin isn’t that great an NFL coach anymore, or he’s somehow lost it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0People saying stuff like that have actually lost it.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Photo: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

NFL Players, Coaches Respect Tomlin<\/p>\n

Tomlin <\/a>is going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day. (At the very least he’ll have my endorsement and vote).<\/p>\n

But more importantly than what’s happening in the social media netherworld or in some uncertain future when Tomlin is retired and ready to be enshrined in Canton, is what’s happening right now in the NFL. What Tomlin is doing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And what NFL people think of him as he works. In that regard, MIke Tomlin is just as respected as ever. All you have to do is check out his work this week.<\/p>\n

This week, Tomlin had one of his best defensive players ejected from a divisional game against the Cincinnati Bengals. In that same game, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers left the game and didn’t play in the second half because he fractured his wrist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

PITTSBURGH – Ja’Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals attempts to complete a catch against Jalen Ramsey #5 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during an NFL football game at Acrisure Stadium on November 16, 2025. (Photo by Michael Owens\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Tomlin’s Quote Of The Week<\/p>\n

And after still guiding the Steelers to a victory in the game after losing two of his most important players, Tomlin handled business.<\/p>\n

Ramsey after the game said he swung at Ja’Marr Chase,<\/a> causing his ejection, because the Bengals receiver spit on him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The NFL agreed with Ramsey<\/a> and suspended Chase for one game.<\/p>\n

That didn’t stop reporters from asking Tomlin how he managed Ramsey in the wake of the ejection. They asked how the coach sent the message to the player to exit situations like that one in which he got spit upon?<\/p>\n

\u00a0And here comes some straight-up Alpha male talk:<\/p>\n

“I have no message,” Tomlin said, “if someone spits in your face. Do what comes natural.”<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

PITTSBURGH – Jalen Ramsey #5 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is held back by teammates after being ejected during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium on November 16, 2025. (Photo by Justin Berl\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Jalen Ramsey A Fan Of Mike Tomlin<\/p>\n

Ramsey, who lost respect for previous coach Mike McDaniel in Miami for whatever reasons, was won over by that reaction. It’s not that he needed to be won over, but Ramsey will run through proverbial walls for Tomlin because he feels supported and respected and is willing to give that to his coach in return.<\/p>\n

And social media may or may not have loved Tomlin’s response. Because it’s raw. And full of testosterone. And not approved by a public relations guru.<\/p>\n

But stuff like that resonates with players and around the NFL.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let’s ask, for example, Chicago Bears <\/a>coach Ben Johnson what he thought of the response.<\/p>\n

“[Tomlin] sets the bar very high and, nothing but respect for him, how he goes about his business,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “He holds his players accountable. I think you saw it even this week with some of the quotes talking about a player getting spit at and his reaction to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I mean, he’s 100 percent right as far as I’m concerned. I think he hit the nail on the head. He just keeps it real and authentic at all times. So, the players respect that.”<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson. Photo: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Ben Johnson: Film Speaks For Tomlin<\/p>\n

And the result of that respect?<\/p>\n

“You can tell that they play hard,” Johnson added. “The film’s always the resume of a coach is how I feel. And when his players are playing as hard and consistent as they do for as long as he’s been doing it, I think that’s a huge credit to him.”<\/p>\n

The spitting incident is not the only crisis Tomlin is managing this week. There’s the issue of what to do with his 41-year-old quarterback who wants to play despite his fractured left wrist.<\/a><\/p>\n

It might ultimately be smart for Tomlin to save Rodgers from himself and keep him out of the lineup against the Bears on Sunday. But he’s not going to say that immediately. He’s not even going to hint at it.<\/p>\n

Tomlin handled the issue like Michael Angelo handled his paint brush inside the Sistine Chapel.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Joe Sargent\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Tomlin Handles Rodgers Injury<\/p>\n

Tomlin handled the issue like Michael Angelo handled his paint brush inside the Sistine Chapel. He:<\/p>\n

Gave the media as much information on the injury as it needed.Said Rodgers would not practice early in the week, and he didn’t on Wednesday. He admitted Rodgers might not practice until Friday.He said Rodgers doesn’t need to practice every day to play.He made the point Rodgers will have a say in the final decision, which shows a player who knows his own body respect.<\/p>\n

Tomlin has been clear with Rodgers that he must be confident the quarterback can manage the pain, because there will be a good bit of it, and the wrist is stabilized to a degree that Rodgers can protect himself and playing won’t make things worse \u2013 meaning trainers need to come up with a brace or cast of some sort.<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

DUBLIN, Ireland – Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #8 of Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2025 NFL International Game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 28, 2025 at Croke Park. (Photo By Seb Daly\/Sportsfile via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Rodgers Knows Who’s Boss<\/p>\n

Tomlin has been clear with Rodgers. He’s made no promise about playing or sitting him.<\/p>\n

Not yet.<\/p>\n

And you know how that approach has left Rodgers? Respecting that his coach will ultimately make a wise decision and it’ll be one he respects.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m going to leave that up to Mr. Coach Tomlin,” Rodgers actually said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Mr. Coach Tomlin, the four-time MVP quarterback called his coach.<\/p>\n

But, go ahead, keep reading how social media questions Tomlin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you spend a lot of time on social media, first of all, stop. Live a real life.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":297125,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[64,63,593,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-297124","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-nfl","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/297125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}