Colin Cowherd of FS1 is often critical of the Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive-minded head coach Mike Tomlin, but he gave the Steelers a ringing endorsement during a segment on The Herd Friday. He believes general manager Omar Khan has built a top-5 roster in the NFL.
“This is a very good roster,” Cowherd said. “I thought they had another excellent draft. (They got) Russell Wilson. Justin Fields is on a short list along with Michael Penix as the best backup. I got to see Ws, I don’t care how good the division is. I need 12 (wins). … To me, I look at rosters in the NFL, I have the Steelers on a short list of top-5.”
The Steelers have a talented roster, but top-5 seems too high. They still have glaring question marks at wide receiver and cornerback. The quarterback position is still uncertain, too.
Co-host Jason McIntyre pushed back and said the Steelers would be lucky to get six wins. … Now that’s a pretty bold statement.
“Colin, just remember. Russell Wilson, no guarantees beyond this year. Mike Tomlin, no guarantees beyond this year. A lot of TV chatter.” McIntryre said.
The over/under win total for the Steelers this year is at 8.5. Cowherd thinks the Steelers have real issues if they fall below that line.
“They better win more than that. Seven or eight, I got real questions. This is way too talented of a roster,” he said.
There had been speculation from national media that Mike Tomlin could look to step aside after the 2023 season, but that obviously didn’t come to fruition. Tomlin will return as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach for the 2024 season, and is expected to have his contract extended at some point this offseason.
McIntyre still has his doubts about Tomlin’s long-term future, however.
“Does Mike Tomlin want to be there anymore? he said. “Is he having fun? Does he want to stay,” McIntyre pondered.
At the NFL owner’s meeting in late March, Rob King of Steelers.com asked Tomlin about coaching the Steelers for the foreseeable future. And Tomlin gave an answer that suggests he has more fire now than ever.
“Absolutely. I love what I do. I love where I do it. I love who I do it with. I answer that question rather easily, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “Certainly, we have things like contracts and things to address. But just in spirit, in terms what I do, the energy I bring to what I do, the desire to step out of that car every day and step into that facility, it hasn’t waned in any way. If it’s done anything different, it has intensified.”
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