Is Tomlin Mismanaging The Rookies?
Photo Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
The title of this article is genuinely where I started as I began writing this article. It’s a topic worth exploring, particularly in light of Mike Tomlin’s press conference on Tuesday. Yet the answer is as clear as mud.
I have a great deal of respect for Tomlin and what he has done in Pittsburgh. I have blindly defended him over the years of lack of playoff success and, to this day, I don’t think there is a better option currently available to lead this team.
It’s easy to criticize him for handling certain coaches (I’ve decided not to use the “C” word in this article). Tomlin also hasn’t had many assistants move on to greater roles. Some have moved laterally, but his coaching tree has few branches beyond the Tomlin bough. Yet he continues to win more than he loses.
I was driving through country roads as I listened to the Tomlin press conference addressing the upcoming matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. He gave his usual analysis of the opponents, commending the high-level creativity of their offense and the star power they have on both sides of the ball. He also gave injury assessments and availability. Fans certainly rejoiced with the news of players like Diontae Johnson, Anthony McFarland, and James Daniels showing signs of making their way back. However, there was a name that didn’t garner much excitement.
As Tomlin outlined the potential of Dan Moore to re-enter the lineup come Sunday, I began to grip the steering wheel a little tighter. Players getting healthy and adding depth is great, but to retain his spot on the depth chart is something else entirely. It would in turn displace Broderick Jones from his starting spot. Jones was good, if not great on Sunday against a legitimate NFL edge rusher in Jadeveon Clowney. In fact, he allowed no pressures and made real movement at the line in the run game. Yet all signs point to Moore getting the nod on Sunday.
Joey Porter Jr. has also been acknowledged by fans and media alike for his high-level coverage this season. His sample size is small, but he has been everything that fans could want in a shutdown corner. In two of the three wins the Steelers have tallied this season, Porter can be credited for a major moment in each, most notably the interception in the red zone against the Baltimore Ravens.
Admittedly, the “starter” status for Porter is less consequential than for Jones. Porter can easily be subbed in and out based on packages, matchups, and the play of Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson. Nevertheless, practice reps are undoubtedly important for a young corner. For Jones, it’s more worrisome. Of course, they could sub Jones in and out, but it’s important that Jones continues to get gelled with the line.
I was squirming in my seat as I listened to Tomlin outline what appears to be the plan for these two for Week 7. The fact that they are going to continue to take a back seat to less productive veterans is likely an attempt to allow them to develop, but that approach hasn’t seemed to work in recent years. In fact, a few names come to mind as examples of players who have regressed throughout their development under Tomlin and Co.
There was a time in which rookies required development. They needed the game to slow down in order to become contributors to the cause. Those days are behind us. Each and every year, rookies step onto NFL fields and dominate. Wide receivers and corners establish themselves as elite competitors. Running backs put up record numbers, and quarterbacks like C.J. Stroud pick apart elite defenses.
In a year where the Steelers are once again beyond long shots to win the Super Bowl, it might be worth looking around the league at how others are doing it. The New York Jets boasted both the offensive and defensive rookies of the year in the 2022 season. Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson have continued to be highly productive this season, and that’s without their star quarterback.
Is it worth holding Jones and Porter back at this point? Is it a dated methodology from Tomlin that is hindering future seasons? I certainly don’t have the mind of an NFL head coach, and I can’t see what’s going on in the building, but what they are putting on the field on Sundays suggests they are ready to go. The only question is if Tomlin will let them, and, if not, why?
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