Code Red: Steelers Trading Pickens Headlined By Tomlin's Blessing

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the longest-tenured coach in the league and he might be the most respected, too.

Part of that is attributed to his accomplishments. He’s never had a losing season, been to two Super Bowls, and won a championship. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of his coaching career is his ability to manage big personalities.

Made famous by Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, the Steelers have routinely welcomed in controversial and polarizing stars. Some have worked out, others haven’t, but almost all of them hit rock bottom somewhere else. Tomlin’s people skills and ability to keep the train on the tracks is a part of why he’s one of three Pittsburgh coaches since the moon landing.

Subsequently, Colin Cowherd offered a warning on “The Herd” after the Steelers traded receiver George Pickens, citing Tomlin’s influence.

“When Mike Tomlin orders a code red, you may want to pay attention,” Cowherd said. “‘Cause he’s like the most patient, pro-player guy in the league… and he knows when to bail on people.”

To Tomlin’s credit, it seems like no player has anything bad to say about him. He’s earned respect from his coaching peers and the players he presides over, and that isn’t just a matter of winning more often than not.

Now, Pickens is the newest Steelers star to be ushered out under his watch. He was sent to the Dallas Cowboys for a third-round pick and a 2027 Day 3 pick swap, setting back the receiving corps and investing in Pittsburgh’s future. Brown and Bell both plummeted in their post-Pittsburgh careers. In 2024, Diontae Johnson was traded to the Carolina Panthers before self-destructing on the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans down the stretch.

“Go look at what they produced post-Mike Tomlin,” he said. “And the answer is not much consistently.”

Emmanuel Sanders worked to ensure that not every Steelers castaway is destined to fail. With a better quarterback in Dak Prescott, Pickens could very well find success in Dallas.

Still, for Tomlin to willingly make his offense worse this late in the offseason is a sign. Pittsburgh isn’t making any move, much less a major one, without Tomlin’s approval. That doesn’t bode well for Pickens as he enters the center of the football universe.