Steelers Give Vote of Confidence to Mike Tomlin with Contract Extension
Anyone who foolishly though that Mike Tomlin’s job was in trouble can let go of that notion. The Super Bowl winning head coach has just been given a three-year contract extension by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A league source reported that Tomlin’s contract originally ran through to 2010 with an option year in 2011 worth $2.5 million per year. His new contract will run through to 2014 and is worth $5 million per year.
Tomlin has spent the last three seasons with the Steelers and has been very successful. In his first season, Tomlin led the Steelers to an AFC North title.
In the 2008 season, Tomlin led the Steelers to a 12-4 finish to secure the 2nd seed and the Steelers had the league’s best overall defence that season. The Steelers went on to win their NFL-leading sixth Super Bowl in a 27-23 thriller over the Arizona Cardinals thanks to late game heroics by Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes.
Last season, the Steelers safety Troy Polamalu sat out most of the season with a knee injury as the defence struggled and the offensive line couldn’t keep Roethlisberger, or "Big Ben," upright. The Steelers missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record.
Now Tomlin is preparing for an even greater challenge. He has to start the season without two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Roethlisberger, who will be suspended for 4-6 games at the start of the season.
The team has also traded Super Bowl XLIII MVP Holmes, who is serving a suspension himself to start the season.
The question is, how will Tomlin handle the offseason turmoil that has surrounded the NFL’s most successful franchise? Byron Leftwich will likely be the starter at quarterback though if he struggles early, the team may turn to Dennis Dixon.
Tomlin coaches in a tough AFC North division with teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens showing signs of improvement, and a slump to start the season may hurt the Steelers playoff chances.
For their first four games of the season, the Steelers will face Atlanta, Tennessee, Tampa Bay and divisional rival Baltimore. If Big Ben serves the full six-game suspension, the Steelers will have to go against Cleveland and Miami without their franchise QB.
Tomlin will have to show that he and the Steelers are up to the task. One thing that the Steelers will likely have to do to be successful early on is to get great defence and play old-fashioned Steelers football by playing the ground and pound game. The Steelers running game has been an ongoing tradition in the franchise, but the Steelers have gotten away from that in the last couple of seasons, employing a more aerial attack. When you have Roethlisberger, that’s not such a bad thing, but without him the Steelers will likely have to revert to their old ways if they are to prevent an early season slump.
The 2009 season was the first season Tomlin couldn’t lead the Steelers to the playoffs. Perhaps it was the Super Bowl hangover that did them in or perhaps it was their injury problems. Troy Polamalu first, then Roethlisberger later, the Steelers started out 6-2, but went on a five game losing streak that ultimately cost them a playoff spot in the end.
What was alarming was that Pittsburgh lost to below .500 teams including Kansas City, Oakland, and Cleveland. The Steelers probably should’ve been in the playoffs and this season will be about redemption.
This season, Tomlin will have to employ his best tactics, making sure his defence is in top form. The running game will have to improve and the offensive line must protect their quarterback(s). Otherwise, it can be a long season for Steel Town.
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