Although it’s no shock the NFL’s longest-tenured and one of the vital influential head coaches in soccer bought his choose of who the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 quarterback can be, beat author Gerry Dulac confirmed Monday that Mike Tomlin was the catalyst for Aaron Rodgers ending up in Pittsburgh. For higher or worse.
Becoming a member of Wealthy Eisen, Dulac made clear Tomlin drove the Rodgers’ bus all three months.
“Mike Tomlin is the particular person behind this entire factor,” Dulac advised the present. “He’s the man who needed him. Clearly, Artwork Rooney II, if he didn’t wanna do that, he wouldn’t have accomplished it. However this was all Mike Tomlin’s thought. That is what he needed, and he pushed for it. And he bought him.”
The sensation was evidently mutual. Shortly after the settlement grew to become public, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tomlin was a key cause why Rodgers selected to signal with Pittsburgh as a substitute of ready out his choices or doubtlessly retiring.
As Dulac notes, it’s a transfer that possession signed off on. But when Tomlin didn’t need Rodgers, he wouldn’t be in Pittsburgh proper now. It’s extra proof of Tomlin’s management over how the Steelers’ roster is constructed. It additionally explains why Pittsburgh was keen to attend so lengthy, even when Rooney, at occasions, sounded aggravated by the delay. Tomlin needed to carry Rodgers in, and so the workforce was affected person to an unprecedented diploma.
It’s not clear what about Rodgers made Tomlin push for him so onerous. Justin Fields, in response to stories, was the workforce’s first selection. Maybe as soon as that was not an possibility, Tomlin realized Rodgers was the highest quarterback left. It’s obvious Pittsburgh had no plans utilizing a prime draft choose on the place, as a substitute specializing in beefing up the defensive entrance seven. That left free company as the one methodology to discover a starter, and Rodgers rapidly grew to become the best choice left.
Desirous to win yearly, Tomlin is making an attempt to maintain the Steelers’ competition window open. Pushed by a want to win whereas the protection can nonetheless play at a top-ten degree. Nevertheless, it’s additionally a workforce that’s getting older and lacks a playoff resume. Mixed, Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, and Minkah Fitzpatrick have one profession playoff win. A actuality that has to gnaw at Tomlin as he pushes to rewrite that story.
Maybe it’s a futile try, and Pittsburgh didn’t magically turn out to be Tremendous Bowl contenders with the signing. In truth, oddsmakers didn’t transfer their probabilities an inch. Nevertheless it’s the motivation for the Steelers, as soon as once more, to reload within the hopes of enjoying significant soccer come January.
