Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark recently warned the club that moving on from head coach Mike Tomlin could turn the proud franchise into a rebuilding team.
It appears Clark also believes Tomlin should consider all of his options before he commits himself to the Steelers for 2025.
“Coach Tomlin should look into whether or not his voice is better suited somewhere else,” Clark told TMZ Sports on Wednesday. “Whether or not the cache that he will carry from what he’s done in Pittsburgh will help another locker room more than it’s helping the locker room in Pittsburgh.”
The futures of Tomlin and the Steelers were hot-button topics on local sports talk radio programs even before Pittsburgh suffered a 28-14 wild-card playoff loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens. While Tomlin is a one-time Super Bowl champion coach who has never had a losing season since he earned the Steelers job in 2007, he also hasn’t recorded a postseason win since the 2016 season.
Earlier in the week, NFL analyst Chase Daniel of The Athletic suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could contact the Steelers regarding Tomlin’s availability. Daniel added that he thought “Tomlin needs to move on from the Steelers” at this stage of his career.
Tomlin responded to such chatter when he said on Tuesday that teams interested in his services should “save your time.” He signed a three-year contract extension this past offseason, and his deal reportedly included a no-trade clause.
With all of that said, Clark compared Tomlin’s situation to what current Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid experienced. Reid guided the Philadelphia Eagles to just one Super Bowl appearance and no championships from 1999 until he was dismissed following the 2012 campaign. He has since helped the Chiefs become a dynasty that has thus far claimed three Super Bowl titles.
“Andy Reid’s voice seemed to have lost a little steam in Philadelphia that was picked up in Kansas City,” Clark explained. “I believe that can be an answer for Mike Tomlin.”
Star pass-rusher Micah Parsons is among Cowboys players who seemingly would warmly welcome Tomlin to Dallas. Tomlin seems to be settled in Pittsburgh, but one wonders if he could have second thoughts about his future during the ongoing NFL hiring cycle.
