Troy Polamalu not only thinks Mike Tomlin should stay in Pittsburgh; the Hall of Fame safety feels his former team is on the precipice of returning to its championship form.
The two-time Super Bowl champion dismissed rumors that this might be Tomlin’s final run with the Steelers. Tomlin, who reportedly may take a break from coaching after this season, was under heavy criticism from Steelers fans before he engineered a three-game winning streak that ultimately resulted in a playoff berth.
“They’re probably the same fans that were saying get rid of Ben too, and me,” Polamalu said with a laugh on “The Jim Rome Show”. “Honestly, I think Coach Tomlin is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. I think he’s a Hall of Fame coach. Absolutely, I think the talk is crazy for people to consider or think that he wouldn’t be our coach next year. I think it would be terrible for him not to be.”
Polamalu has first-hand knowledge of Tomlin’s coaching prowess. Under Tomlin, Polamalu was named the 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He once credited Tomlin’s mid-week coaching for the defense’s rallying around James Harrison during Harrison’s famous 100-yard pick-six that helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII.
“First of all, I think that he’s able to connect with the younger players unlike any coach that I’ve seen,” Polamalu said of Tomlin. “He’s an amazing coach from a tactical perspective. I’ve been in meetings with him and learned so much from him, even though I had a Hall of Fame coach as well in Coach LeBeau.”
Tomlin, 51, has never had a losing season in his 17 seasons as Pittsburgh’s coach. But that achievement loses some of its luster when you consider that the Steelers have not won a playoff game in seven years, an eternity for the NFL’s most successful franchise since the 1970 merger.
Polamalu, though, feels the Steelers are close to returning to the franchise’s glory years of…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/troy-polamalu-talk-of-mike-tomlin-not-returning-to-steelers-is-crazy-vows-team-will-be-back-on-top-soon/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2024-01-09 23:20:14
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