Though the Pittsburgh Steelers ultimately fell short of gaining a postseason spot this season, they were still able to rebound from an abysmal start to their campaign to come within striking distance. And in doing so, long time head coach Mike Tomlin enjoyed yet another season of a winning record.
And according to Steelers captain Cameron Heyward, there's no reason why he shouldn't be considered to be in the running for the NFL's Coach of the Year.
“This dude has had some really good teams and gotten the best out of a lot of good teams. Why has he not been recognized” as a coach of the year, he asked on his podcast. “I know he’s not doing it for that, but I think he’s long overdue for every accolade. Hall of Fame, you name it. Man, that dude gets the best out of his players”. The conversation was about him never winning the Coach of the Year Award, so it obviously includes that in “every accolade”.
Heyward also feels that Tomlin is essentially coaching in the shadows of those who came before him and won the award multiple times.
“The expectations are there, but the standard was set before him”, he insisted. “He’s fighting ghosts. He’s not just fighting the coach on the other sideline. He’s got to fight guys that don’t play anymore and don’t coach anymore. It’s unrealistic, but man, that’s what the standard is”.
Thanks to his incredible coaching job this season, should Tomlin in fact be considered for the award that has eluded him throughout his career?
