Insider shares surprising claim about how some former Steelers players view Mike Tomlin

Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers is widely viewed among analysts and fans as a head coach players around the NFL would love to have as their leader. 

However, NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports suggested during a Wednesday appearance on 93.7 The Fan that not everybody who has played for Tomlin since 2007 loved the experience. 

"I'll just say this without violating anybody's trust," Kinkhabwala explained during the segment, as shared by Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. "There are many, many, many former players that I have spoken to that have bitten their tongues about their experience with [Tomlin]."

While Tomlin is a one-time Super Bowl champion head coach who hasn't had a single losing season since he accepted the Pittsburgh job in 2007, pockets of Steelers supporters and local media personalities have grown frustrated over the fact that the club hasn't notched a single playoff victory since the 2016 campaign. A recent report indicated that unnamed individuals within the Steelers are "out of patience" after Pittsburgh went 0-5 in postseason games from January 2018 through this past winter. 

Additionally, Tomlin still hasn't found a long-term answer at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired in January 2022. Tomlin was also unable to keep wide receivers such as Diontae Johnson and George Pickens from causing numerous headaches for the organization before the Steelers discarded those potential playmakers. 

"The national media is in love with Mike Tomlin," Kinkhabwala acknowledged during the segment. "And the national media never brings up the playoff drought. And the national media never brings up all these wide receivers who can't seem to behave one after another and another."

Multiple Steelers insiders insisted throughout the spring that Tomlin is safe in his job after he signed a three-year contract extension last offseason. That said, the fact that certain "hot seat" rumors emerged before Kinkhabwala offered her comments may show that some people in NFL circles no longer view Tomlin as they did even a few years ago. 

Tomlin can silence such chatter by guiding a team that features 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers as its starting quarterback to more than just a postseason berth. If that doesn't happen, expect whispers claiming Pittsburgh could trade Tomlin's rights to a team looking for a new head coach to resurface this coming January.