Former Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas addresses the crowd after being inducted into the Browns Ring of Honor during halftime Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022 in Cleveland. Phil Masturzo / USA TODAY NETWORK

Joe Thomas' epic rant highlights the stupidity of coaches who work too much

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 11/11/22

Former NFL lineman Joe Thomas railed against the Colts' hiring of Jeff Saturday, arguing that the time commitment it takes to be an NFL coach is too much to handle. It's way past time to put that notion to rest.

"The commitment it takes to be a head coach is beyond what people can comprehend," said the NFL Network analyst, per Pro Football Talk.

He commented on the strain it put on his former coach in Cleveland, Rob Chudzinski, saying, "He saw his children one time every week ... That's a lifestyle. That's who you are. That's not something that you can just show up for."

Someone forgot to tell that to former Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians.

TAMPA-You’ll like this from Bruce Arians. pic.twitter.com/XMWMxJQQJ4
— Peter King (@peter_king) July 31, 2019

In 2019 — before the Bucs won a Super Bowl after the 2020 season — Arians told NBC Sports' Peter King the one thing he wouldn't tolerate from his coaching staff is putting the team over their personal responsibilities.

"If you miss a football game or recital, anything to do with your children, I'll fire you," said Arians. He told King of personal regret over not spending more time with his family when he was a younger coach.

The idea that a coach can only be successful if they focus strictly on coaching is outdated and wrong. Based on Thomas's tale about Chudzinski, it's ineffective, too. After all, no amount of time was going to turn Jason Campbell or Brandon Weeden into good quarterbacks. Chudzinski finished 4-12 as Cleveland's head coach.

NFL coaches should know better than anyone else the importance of time management.

Perhaps if more coaches were better at managing their time off the field, they could manage the clock on it.

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