WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.040 Mike Tomlin is stepping down as the head coach 00:00:02.040 --> 00:00:04.379 for the Steelers. I know this is a joyous time 00:00:04.379 --> 00:00:06.710 for a lot of people, but I feel like in this 00:00:06.710 --> 00:00:09.150 moment, we need to peel back the layers on why 00:00:09.150 --> 00:00:11.990 this is happening now. And we need to talk about 00:00:11.990 --> 00:00:14.150 potential head coach candidates, what's going 00:00:14.150 --> 00:00:16.850 to happen moving forward, what I think they need 00:00:16.850 --> 00:00:19.510 to do, and how is this going to affect the players 00:00:19.510 --> 00:00:22.210 moving forward, okay? All of this and more on 00:00:22.210 --> 00:00:24.609 this breaking news episode of the Football Junkies 00:00:24.609 --> 00:00:27.530 Podcast. I'm not going to do no intro, not going 00:00:27.530 --> 00:00:29.589 to do no outro. We're just going to get into 00:00:29.589 --> 00:00:31.769 it, okay? So here's the statement from Steelers 00:00:31.769 --> 00:00:34.109 president Art Rooney II, and I quote, During 00:00:34.109 --> 00:00:36.990 our meeting today, Coach Tomlin informed me that 00:00:36.990 --> 00:00:39.009 he has decided to step down as our head coach. 00:00:39.250 --> 00:00:41.570 Obviously, I am extremely grateful to Mike for 00:00:41.570 --> 00:00:44.390 all the hard work, dedication, and success we 00:00:44.390 --> 00:00:47.070 have shared over the last 19 years. It is hard 00:00:47.070 --> 00:00:49.130 for me to put into words the level of respect 00:00:49.130 --> 00:00:51.990 and appreciation I have for Coach Tomlin. He 00:00:51.990 --> 00:00:54.130 guided the franchise to our sixth Super Bowl 00:00:54.130 --> 00:00:57.130 championship and made the playoffs 13 times during 00:00:57.130 --> 00:01:00.149 his tenure, including winning the AFC North eight 00:01:00.149 --> 00:01:02.950 times in his career. His track record of never 00:01:02.950 --> 00:01:05.290 having a losing season in 19 years will likely 00:01:05.290 --> 00:01:08.129 never be duplicated. My family and I and everyone 00:01:08.129 --> 00:01:10.329 connected to the Steelers management are forever 00:01:10.329 --> 00:01:12.530 grateful for the passion and dedication Mike 00:01:12.530 --> 00:01:14.349 Tomlin has devoted to the Steelers football, 00:01:14.650 --> 00:01:17.030 end quote. Now here's the statement from Mike 00:01:17.030 --> 00:01:19.950 Tomlin and I quote, After much thought and reflection, 00:01:20.349 --> 00:01:22.709 I have decided to step down as head coach of 00:01:22.709 --> 00:01:25.069 the Pittsburgh Steelers. This organization has 00:01:25.069 --> 00:01:27.390 been a huge part of my life for many years and 00:01:27.390 --> 00:01:29.510 has been an absolute honor to lead this team. 00:01:29.930 --> 00:01:32.390 I am deeply grateful to Art Rooney II and the 00:01:32.390 --> 00:01:34.609 late Ambassador Rooney for their trust and support. 00:01:34.950 --> 00:01:37.549 I am also thankful to the players who gave everything 00:01:37.549 --> 00:01:40.349 they had every day and to the coaches and staff 00:01:40.349 --> 00:01:42.409 whose commitment and dedication made this journey 00:01:42.409 --> 00:01:45.290 so meaningful. I want to also thank Steelers 00:01:45.290 --> 00:01:48.269 Nation. Your passion, loyalty, and high expectations 00:01:48.269 --> 00:01:50.670 represent what makes this franchise truly special. 00:01:51.150 --> 00:01:53.370 Coaching in Pittsburgh is unlike anywhere else, 00:01:53.510 --> 00:01:55.829 and I will always take great pride in having 00:01:55.829 --> 00:01:58.500 being a steward of this team. While this chapter 00:01:58.500 --> 00:02:01.260 comes to a close, my respect and love for the 00:02:01.260 --> 00:02:04.019 Pittsburgh Steelers will never change. I am excited 00:02:04.019 --> 00:02:05.959 for what the future holds for this organization, 00:02:06.260 --> 00:02:08.819 and I will forever be grateful for my time in 00:02:08.819 --> 00:02:11.840 Pittsburgh." Mike Tomlin's overall record with 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:16.319 the Steelers is 193 wins and 114 losses. Now 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:17.960 that we've read all the statements and whatnot, 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:20.460 let's talk about this situation. I don't think 00:02:20.460 --> 00:02:22.939 Mike Tomlin made this move after the Texans' 00:02:22.939 --> 00:02:25.979 loss. I think Mike Tomlin had been thinking of 00:02:25.979 --> 00:02:28.960 this move for a very long time. Because let's 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:31.780 be honest here. The last few years with the Steelers 00:02:31.780 --> 00:02:34.099 have not been great. They haven't done well in 00:02:34.099 --> 00:02:36.840 the playoffs. And just overall, they're not a 00:02:36.840 --> 00:02:39.620 good team. Now, sure, we can play the blame game. 00:02:39.699 --> 00:02:41.639 We can point fingers at this person and that 00:02:41.639 --> 00:02:44.199 person, this decision and that decision. But 00:02:44.199 --> 00:02:47.020 the fact of the matter is this. The Steelers 00:02:47.020 --> 00:02:49.120 are trying to do something that is very difficult. 00:02:49.469 --> 00:02:52.389 And that is they're trying to retool while remain 00:02:52.389 --> 00:02:55.129 competitive. Now, I'm not saying this is impossible, 00:02:55.449 --> 00:02:58.169 but the part that the Steelers continue to fail 00:02:58.169 --> 00:03:00.330 on is not consistently hitting on their draft 00:03:00.330 --> 00:03:02.530 picks. And the other part we need to talk about 00:03:02.530 --> 00:03:05.530 is the Steelers continuing to sign these old 00:03:05.530 --> 00:03:08.629 players. I understand that these are some really 00:03:08.629 --> 00:03:10.710 great names and these are going to be potential 00:03:10.710 --> 00:03:13.520 first ballot Hall of Famers and whatnot. But 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:16.620 you guys are signing these old ass players thinking 00:03:16.620 --> 00:03:18.120 that you're going to get the same production 00:03:18.120 --> 00:03:20.500 that you saw with other teams when you're not 00:03:20.500 --> 00:03:22.639 even using them the same way that they were just 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:26.659 used. So when you factor all of this in, of course, 00:03:26.659 --> 00:03:28.319 the Steelers were not going to be competitive. 00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:30.379 Now, I know the media is spinning this story 00:03:30.379 --> 00:03:32.900 and talk about how Steelers fans are ungrateful 00:03:32.900 --> 00:03:36.020 and they need to appreciate Mike Tomlin and all 00:03:36.020 --> 00:03:38.520 this crazy things. And he's never had a losing 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:40.659 season. Let's really talk about this. All right. 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:43.300 Yes it is an achievement that he's never had 00:03:43.300 --> 00:03:46.900 a losing season but at the same time that doesn't 00:03:46.900 --> 00:03:49.259 mean that he's greater than all the other coaches. 00:03:50.139 --> 00:03:52.800 Because anybody can be great in the regular season. 00:03:53.099 --> 00:03:56.259 What really defines your legacy is the postseason. 00:03:56.699 --> 00:03:59.539 In the last few years Mike Tomlin has not had 00:03:59.539 --> 00:04:02.080 a lot of success in the postseason. The last 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:05.319 time they won the playoffs was in 2017 and since 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:08.300 then they haven't done anything. In 2020, you 00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:12.259 lost to the Browns 48 -37. In 2021, you lost 00:04:12.259 --> 00:04:16.360 to the Chiefs 42 -21. In 2023, you lost to the 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:20.160 Bills 31 -17. In 2024, you lost to the Ravens 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:24.480 28 -14. In 2025, you lost to the Texans 30 -6. 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:27.439 Now, sure, people can play the blame game and 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:29.740 say, oh, we didn't have this person in the playoffs, 00:04:29.959 --> 00:04:32.579 or we didn't have this quarterback in the playoffs, 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:34.939 and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, 00:04:34.939 --> 00:04:38.300 blah, blah. Doesn't matter, okay? The fact of 00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:40.660 the matter is, this has been an accumulation 00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:44.300 over time of not getting it done. And let's also 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:46.920 be honest here. The Texans game was probably 00:04:46.920 --> 00:04:49.120 their best chance of winning a playoff game. 00:04:49.629 --> 00:04:51.750 Because C .J. Stroud wasn't playing his best 00:04:51.750 --> 00:04:54.350 ball. He kept fumbling the ball over and over 00:04:54.350 --> 00:04:57.389 and over again. The defense was putting the offense 00:04:57.389 --> 00:05:00.449 in great positions on the field. But the offense 00:05:00.449 --> 00:05:03.050 couldn't do anything. Because why? They have 00:05:03.050 --> 00:05:05.529 a stagnant offensive coordinator and they don't 00:05:05.529 --> 00:05:08.329 have any weapons. Now as much as I want to praise 00:05:08.329 --> 00:05:10.490 Mike Tomlin for all of his achievements and whatnot, 00:05:10.730 --> 00:05:14.189 I also have to be very critical. Bro, you wasn't 00:05:14.189 --> 00:05:16.970 getting it done in the last few years. And I'll 00:05:16.970 --> 00:05:19.009 be honest, I'll be very transparent with you 00:05:19.009 --> 00:05:20.709 guys. Mook, you know exactly what I'm getting 00:05:20.709 --> 00:05:23.709 ready to say. The only time this offseason where 00:05:23.709 --> 00:05:26.310 I was actually really excited to be a Steelers 00:05:26.310 --> 00:05:29.029 fan was when we acquired Jalen Ramsey. Because 00:05:29.029 --> 00:05:31.930 at that moment, I'm thinking, oh, we only gave 00:05:31.930 --> 00:05:34.329 up a couple picks and maybe a player that's not 00:05:34.329 --> 00:05:36.870 going to make the roster to acquire Jalen Ramsey. 00:05:36.990 --> 00:05:39.230 But then once I found out that we traded away 00:05:39.230 --> 00:05:41.589 Minkah Fitzpatrick, I was done with the team. 00:05:41.879 --> 00:05:43.759 Because at that point, that had already let me 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:47.180 know that you're choosing names over value. Let's 00:05:47.180 --> 00:05:49.600 go a little bit deeper. I've been one of the 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:51.819 main people that have been beating on the table 00:05:51.819 --> 00:05:54.720 that the worst trade they ever made this offseason 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:57.600 was getting Jalen Ramsey for Minka Fitzpatrick. 00:05:58.149 --> 00:06:00.529 Because I know everybody was being critical of 00:06:00.529 --> 00:06:03.189 Minka saying, oh, he's not making the same splash 00:06:03.189 --> 00:06:06.209 moves that he used to do. He's not getting picks. 00:06:06.430 --> 00:06:08.550 He's not getting this. He's not getting that. 00:06:08.689 --> 00:06:11.149 Why are we paying Minka Fitzpatrick all this 00:06:11.149 --> 00:06:13.850 money? But the fact of the matter is this. You 00:06:13.850 --> 00:06:16.810 need Minka. Because what you have on this roster 00:06:16.810 --> 00:06:19.689 right now is a more expensive, less athletic 00:06:19.689 --> 00:06:21.829 version of Minka Fitzpatrick. And this is no 00:06:21.829 --> 00:06:24.959 way of me shooting a shot at Jalen Ramsey. I 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:27.699 love Jalen Ramsey, love his game, love everything 00:06:27.699 --> 00:06:30.300 that he bought to the Steelers. But you traded 00:06:30.300 --> 00:06:34.620 down to get a name. Then you give $10 million 00:06:34.620 --> 00:06:37.519 to Darius Slade when you know he can't play man 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:40.079 coverage anymore. And understand this here, folks. 00:06:40.500 --> 00:06:43.439 There is not one player on this roster that Mike 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:45.720 Tomlin does not give the green light on. This 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:48.319 isn't Omar Khan's working. This is Mike Tomlin's 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:50.379 working. And don't get it twisted. I'm not one 00:06:50.379 --> 00:06:51.980 of these crazy fans out here that are saying, 00:06:52.100 --> 00:06:55.540 fuck Mike Tomlin. Mike Tomlin's gotta go. I'm 00:06:55.540 --> 00:06:58.579 so sick of Mike Tomlin. I could just cry right 00:06:58.579 --> 00:07:01.420 now. I'm gonna drink my life off. I'm not one 00:07:01.420 --> 00:07:03.399 of those fans, okay? If you're looking for the 00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:05.360 Steel Hero Podcast, you're not gonna get that 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:07.519 over here. You're gonna get real people, real 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:09.579 information, real facts. If you're looking for 00:07:09.579 --> 00:07:11.939 that delusion crap over there, you go over there 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:14.060 and you look for it, but not over here. We're 00:07:14.060 --> 00:07:15.800 gonna talk about this situation. We're gonna 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:19.240 unpack this situation like professionals. I can 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:21.620 be critical of somebody while at the same time 00:07:21.620 --> 00:07:24.420 appreciating the work that they do. What coach 00:07:24.420 --> 00:07:26.720 do you know that can go through the things that 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:28.540 Mike Tomlin has gone through within the last 00:07:28.540 --> 00:07:31.459 five to ten years and still remain competitive? 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:34.399 Name me one coach that can still remain competitive 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:38.339 without having a franchise quarterback. I don't 00:07:38.339 --> 00:07:40.339 know a lot of coaches that can do it, but Mike 00:07:40.339 --> 00:07:42.589 Tomlin can say that he did it. And before we 00:07:42.589 --> 00:07:44.970 go any further, huge, huge, huge shout out to 00:07:44.970 --> 00:07:47.509 Josina Anderson because she was one of the first 00:07:47.509 --> 00:07:49.529 people that actually talked about a significant 00:07:49.529 --> 00:07:52.550 move like this happening. Now, this is what Josina 00:07:52.550 --> 00:07:55.110 Anderson tweeted out on October 13th, and I quote, 00:07:55.290 --> 00:07:57.689 Spoke to a league source who tells me they're 00:07:57.689 --> 00:08:00.089 currently expecting five NFL head coaching changes 00:08:00.089 --> 00:08:02.769 that includes the Titans. One of said teams has 00:08:02.769 --> 00:08:05.089 a star player expressing frustration to ownership. 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:08.139 Another team no one is really talking about now 00:08:08.139 --> 00:08:10.879 could be looking for new scenery next year. We'll 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:13.800 keep you posted. Some top personnel changes already 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:16.279 simmering, as well as on a couple of teams minimum. 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:19.160 One in each conference." And since we're giving 00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:21.259 out shoutouts, we also have to mention Albert 00:08:21.259 --> 00:08:23.839 Breer because he was the one that made the connection 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:26.199 of Chris Shula possibly being the next head coach 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:28.860 for the Steelers. So this move was already in 00:08:28.860 --> 00:08:31.899 play a long time ago. It's just now it's finally 00:08:31.899 --> 00:08:33.990 come to fruition. Now, with that being said, 00:08:34.029 --> 00:08:36.129 I know a lot of people are overhyping the Steelers 00:08:36.129 --> 00:08:38.710 job. Everyone's saying, oh, it's the most coveted 00:08:38.710 --> 00:08:41.389 job in all of the league. And it's the greatest 00:08:41.389 --> 00:08:44.090 job of all. You got to go to the Steelers if 00:08:44.090 --> 00:08:45.669 you're a head coach, blah, blah, blah, blah, 00:08:45.710 --> 00:08:48.529 blah. You gotta, gotta, gotta. Yes and no. Let 00:08:48.529 --> 00:08:50.809 me explain why. So for starters, the Steelers 00:08:50.809 --> 00:08:53.190 don't have a franchise quarterback. And it also 00:08:53.190 --> 00:08:54.809 doesn't help that you're approaching a draft 00:08:54.809 --> 00:08:56.690 class that doesn't have a lot of quarterback 00:08:56.690 --> 00:09:00.110 prospects. And the only two prospects that everybody 00:09:00.110 --> 00:09:02.190 is going to be clamoring over are going to be 00:09:02.190 --> 00:09:05.149 drafted high up in the draft. So there's no point 00:09:05.149 --> 00:09:07.269 in you giving up a boatload of picks to try to 00:09:07.269 --> 00:09:10.450 get Fernando Mendoza or Ty Simpson. Just build 00:09:10.450 --> 00:09:13.090 out the rest of your team and go for it in 27. 00:09:13.409 --> 00:09:16.570 Now, the cap space, that's not really a problem, 00:09:16.649 --> 00:09:18.830 honestly. They can work around. They can, you 00:09:18.830 --> 00:09:20.490 know, make some restructures, cut some people, 00:09:20.610 --> 00:09:22.370 trade some people. That's not a problem, right? 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:25.039 But when we really look at the situation in itself, 00:09:25.220 --> 00:09:27.259 we also have to factor in that parts of this 00:09:27.259 --> 00:09:30.320 defense is getting old. So with that being said, 00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:32.240 the Steelers have a lot of decisions that they're 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:34.340 going to have to make this offseason. And some 00:09:34.340 --> 00:09:36.279 of them are going to be very uncomfortable, but 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:38.100 they're going to have to be made. Do you let 00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:40.899 Cam Hayward hit free agency? Do you entertain 00:09:40.899 --> 00:09:43.820 possibly trading away T .J. Watt? Do you try 00:09:43.820 --> 00:09:46.139 to get younger on the defense and try to allocate 00:09:46.139 --> 00:09:49.019 more money on the offense? These are the conversations 00:09:49.019 --> 00:09:50.960 that need to happen now so that they can get 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:52.500 an understanding on how they want to approach 00:09:52.500 --> 00:09:54.279 this thing. Because for all intents and purposes, 00:09:54.519 --> 00:09:57.360 they may still bring in a defensive coach. Or 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.539 they may bring in an offensive head coach. Who 00:09:59.539 --> 00:10:02.620 knows? And whoever the next head coach is, they 00:10:02.620 --> 00:10:04.919 need to expand this coaching staff. Because right 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:07.299 now, having this small coaching staff doesn't 00:10:07.299 --> 00:10:09.940 benefit anybody. A lot of times, the reason why 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:11.960 the Steelers lost certain games was because they 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:14.179 were out -schemed. It wasn't because of players. 00:10:14.830 --> 00:10:16.769 It wasn't because they scored more points or 00:10:16.769 --> 00:10:20.090 made more plays. It was schematics. The few times 00:10:20.090 --> 00:10:22.049 that Mike Tomlin has faced the Colts, what has 00:10:22.049 --> 00:10:25.250 happened? He's always been out -schemed. Whenever 00:10:25.250 --> 00:10:27.610 he faces some of the top teams in the league, 00:10:27.750 --> 00:10:30.549 what happens? He gets out -schemed. That's a 00:10:30.549 --> 00:10:33.570 problem. And the crazy thing is, coaches don't 00:10:33.570 --> 00:10:36.039 count against the salary cap. Now, I understand 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:39.000 that Art Rooney isn't a Jerry Jones or a Shad 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:42.379 Khan or Cronky or all those other owners that 00:10:42.379 --> 00:10:45.259 have multiple streams of incomes. But at the 00:10:45.259 --> 00:10:47.519 same time, when you look at some of the best 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:49.379 teams in the league, they have a decent sized 00:10:49.379 --> 00:10:51.659 coaching staff. Now, I'm not saying you need 00:10:51.659 --> 00:10:53.500 to have the biggest coaching staff in the entire 00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:55.840 league, but you need to make those investments 00:10:55.840 --> 00:10:58.679 because what continues to happen year after year 00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:01.879 after year when you face these great teams? You 00:11:01.879 --> 00:11:06.159 get outcoached. in every single form on offense, 00:11:06.379 --> 00:11:09.159 on defense, on special teams, and everything 00:11:09.159 --> 00:11:11.659 in between. And you wonder why certain players 00:11:11.659 --> 00:11:13.360 aren't playing to the best of their abilities 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:15.220 because a lot of times they may be in the wrong 00:11:15.220 --> 00:11:17.320 situation or they could be used in the wrong 00:11:17.320 --> 00:11:20.539 way. We've seen multiple times how Mike Tomlin 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:24.139 has tried to fit square pegs into circle pegs 00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:25.740 thinking that it's going to work and it doesn't. 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:29.320 Perfect example, Kevin Dotson. Kevin Dotson said, 00:11:29.480 --> 00:11:31.860 I don't play this position. My natural position 00:11:31.860 --> 00:11:34.620 is this position. They traded him away to the 00:11:34.620 --> 00:11:36.759 Rams and now he's one of the best guards in the 00:11:36.759 --> 00:11:38.879 league. Now, one of the benefits of the Steelers 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:41.519 job is you're going to be given a chance. They're 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.720 going to let this thing play out. But if they 00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:45.440 see that you're not making a lot of progress 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:47.519 and you're starting to lose the locker room and 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:49.620 fans, then they're going to make a move. And 00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:51.620 we also have to mention that Art Rooney is a 00:11:51.620 --> 00:11:54.000 patient owner. He's not somebody that listens 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.740 to the fans or listen to the media or this person 00:11:57.740 --> 00:12:00.259 or that person. He moves to the beat of his own 00:12:00.259 --> 00:12:02.399 drum. Although I don't think the Steelers job 00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:05.340 is the best job, I do believe that there's some 00:12:05.340 --> 00:12:08.019 pros and cons with it. And I think if you're 00:12:08.019 --> 00:12:10.539 somebody that values stability from the top all 00:12:10.539 --> 00:12:12.899 the way down, I think this is the perfect place 00:12:12.899 --> 00:12:15.299 for you. Because let's be honest here. Everybody 00:12:15.299 --> 00:12:18.200 knows this. The Steelers don't fire their coaches. 00:12:18.500 --> 00:12:21.039 They just let their contracts play out. Now, 00:12:21.059 --> 00:12:23.340 we all know they fired Matt Canada, but I mean, 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:28.000 that was bad. That was really bad. That was really, 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:30.840 really, really, really, really bad. But outside 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:33.159 of that, they usually give their coaches a chance. 00:12:33.419 --> 00:12:35.299 Now, with that being said, let's talk about some 00:12:35.299 --> 00:12:37.039 candidates. So the first few people that come 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:39.480 to mind are Chris Shula, Brian Flores, Jesse 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:41.879 Mentor, Robert Sala. Now, I'll be honest here. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:44.639 I feel like the defensive candidates are better 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:47.200 than the offensive candidates this cycle. And 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:49.919 the reason why I say that is because Jesse Minter 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:52.899 is proven. Brian Flores is proven. Chris Shula 00:12:52.899 --> 00:12:55.960 is proven. Clint Kubiak, to me, and this is my 00:12:55.960 --> 00:12:59.080 personal opinion, is not proven. And the reason 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:01.820 why I say that is because Clint Kubiak is just 00:13:01.820 --> 00:13:04.580 having one good year. Anybody can have one good 00:13:04.580 --> 00:13:07.120 year. We see that in free agency all the time. 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:10.200 One player that nobody is talking about, that 00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:12.759 a lot of people have just shrugged off, has one 00:13:12.759 --> 00:13:15.019 amazing year, and next thing you know, they're 00:13:15.019 --> 00:13:17.620 resetting their positional market. I don't want 00:13:17.620 --> 00:13:20.620 that. What I want is consistency, and he doesn't 00:13:20.620 --> 00:13:23.000 have consistency. Because if we can be honest 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:25.559 here, you can't just talk about his tenure with 00:13:25.559 --> 00:13:28.139 the Seahawks and not mention his tenure with 00:13:28.139 --> 00:13:30.919 the Saints. It doesn't go like that. I think 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:33.139 the best thing for him is to stay as an offensive 00:13:33.139 --> 00:13:36.000 coordinator, continue to build up his reputation, 00:13:36.299 --> 00:13:39.419 continue to develop some players, then go for 00:13:39.419 --> 00:13:42.059 a head coaching job. Now, I think Brian Flores 00:13:42.059 --> 00:13:44.159 is a good option as well because he has familiarity 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:47.159 with the organization and players. He's very 00:13:47.159 --> 00:13:49.059 creative with his blitz schemes and whatnot. 00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:52.519 But Jesse Minter, to me, is very interesting. 00:13:52.700 --> 00:13:54.700 And the reason why I say that is because when 00:13:54.700 --> 00:13:57.080 we look at the Chargers defense, everybody benefited 00:13:57.080 --> 00:14:00.220 from the coaching. From Adafio Way to Khalil 00:14:00.220 --> 00:14:03.039 Mack, of course, Derwin James, Dante Jackson, 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:05.919 I can continue to go down the list. I think if 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:07.799 you really want to maximize what you have on 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:10.080 this defense, Jesse Minter is the way to go. 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:12.259 Now, if you want to take things another level, 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:14.759 you could get Chris Shula. And the reason why 00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:16.860 I mentioned Chris Shula is because, for starters, 00:14:16.980 --> 00:14:19.179 he's the grandson of Don Shula, which we all 00:14:19.179 --> 00:14:22.019 know the Steelers love legacy and whatnot. If 00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:24.419 you get him, you could also get the past game 00:14:24.419 --> 00:14:26.799 specialist and make him the offensive coordinator. 00:14:27.059 --> 00:14:29.860 So you kill two birds with one stone. The next 00:14:29.860 --> 00:14:32.399 head coach in some way needs to be like a Mike 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:34.519 Tomlin. And when I mean a Mike Tomlin, I mean 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:36.539 somebody who is able to motivate their players 00:14:36.539 --> 00:14:39.519 despite the circumstance. You could be on a two 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:41.600 -game losing streak, and that coach is going 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:43.679 to motivate your players to play their best ball. 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:46.419 You need a head coach that has a CEO mindset 00:14:46.419 --> 00:14:49.500 and not a backup manager mindset. Now, Robert 00:14:49.500 --> 00:14:52.460 Sala is an interesting name as well because although 00:14:52.460 --> 00:14:54.399 a lot of people are going to criticize him for 00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:57.019 his time with the Jets, the one takeaway we can 00:14:57.019 --> 00:14:59.700 all agree upon is he made that defense better. 00:15:00.330 --> 00:15:02.769 From Sauce Garner to Quinton Williams and even 00:15:02.769 --> 00:15:05.549 Quincy Williams, everybody on that defense under 00:15:05.549 --> 00:15:08.769 Robert Siler played better. And since then, they 00:15:08.769 --> 00:15:10.490 haven't been playing their best ball, aside from 00:15:10.490 --> 00:15:12.070 Quinton Williams, which that's another story 00:15:12.070 --> 00:15:15.049 for another day, right? I think if you bring 00:15:15.049 --> 00:15:17.490 in any of these guys, your team is going to be 00:15:17.490 --> 00:15:19.870 great. There's no need for you to go on the offensive 00:15:19.870 --> 00:15:21.870 side because there's not a lot of good options, 00:15:22.029 --> 00:15:24.870 okay? And that's the part that upsets me because 00:15:24.870 --> 00:15:26.789 you could have done this a couple years ago. 00:15:27.149 --> 00:15:29.029 See, if you would have done this in the window 00:15:29.029 --> 00:15:31.990 when Ben Johnson was available, Jim Harbaugh, 00:15:32.110 --> 00:15:34.470 Mike Vrabel, Raheem Morris, you would have had 00:15:34.470 --> 00:15:37.330 way better options because right now it looks 00:15:37.330 --> 00:15:39.049 like the best candidates are for the defense. 00:15:39.649 --> 00:15:42.090 So if you're trying to go a different way, you 00:15:42.090 --> 00:15:44.649 really can't do it this time. Are you going to 00:15:44.649 --> 00:15:47.129 go with Mike McDaniel? Hell no. Are you going 00:15:47.129 --> 00:15:49.450 to go with Kevin Stefanski? Hell no. Are you 00:15:49.450 --> 00:15:52.250 going to go with Clint Kubiak? Hell no. You might 00:15:52.250 --> 00:15:54.570 as well want to stay with the defense. Have them 00:15:54.570 --> 00:15:56.230 bring in a really good offensive coordinator 00:15:56.230 --> 00:15:59.070 and just go from there. And one more thing we 00:15:59.070 --> 00:16:00.669 need to talk about and then we'll end the episode. 00:16:01.169 --> 00:16:03.389 The Steelers are going to hire somebody young. 00:16:03.809 --> 00:16:07.330 They're not going to hire a 42 or 45 or 50 year 00:16:07.330 --> 00:16:09.690 old. They're going to hire somebody that is young. 00:16:10.090 --> 00:16:13.750 My guess is Chris Shula, Jesse Minter, Brian 00:16:13.750 --> 00:16:16.009 Flores, maybe Robert Sala comes to mind because 00:16:16.009 --> 00:16:17.870 those are some of the youngest candidates right 00:16:17.870 --> 00:16:21.149 now. Now, could they surprise us? Yes, but I 00:16:21.149 --> 00:16:23.179 don't think they will. With that being said, 00:16:23.220 --> 00:16:25.000 I think we need to take a moment and celebrate 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:27.919 Mike Tomlin. Because all I've been seeing is, 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:31.299 oh, Mike Tomlin quit on the team. And oh my God, 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:34.419 I'm so happy that Mike Tomlin is gone. Oh my 00:16:34.419 --> 00:16:37.080 God, I can cry right now. I'm just going to pull 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:40.220 over and just cry and celebrate. But we need 00:16:40.220 --> 00:16:43.220 to give his flowers. Because I don't know a lot 00:16:43.220 --> 00:16:45.059 of coaches that can do the things that he's been 00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:48.360 able to do in the past few years. So Coach Tomlin, 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:51.179 thank you. As a black kid growing up, seeing 00:16:51.179 --> 00:16:53.500 you on the sideline coach the Pittsburgh Steelers 00:16:53.500 --> 00:16:56.299 was an honor. From your consistency to your high 00:16:56.299 --> 00:16:59.639 expectations, you continue to prove the naysayers 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:03.340 wrong season in and season out. From your crazy 00:17:03.340 --> 00:17:07.279 wordisms, to your swag, to the way that you carried 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:10.730 yourself each and every season. Thank you. And 00:17:10.730 --> 00:17:12.549 with that being said, I'm going to end this episode 00:17:12.549 --> 00:17:14.069 here. If you guys like what you were listening, 00:17:14.210 --> 00:17:15.890 please, please, please, please, please make sure 00:17:15.890 --> 00:17:18.009 you guys leave a five -star, five -star, five 00:17:18.009 --> 00:17:20.349 -star, five -star, five -star review in anywhere 00:17:20.349 --> 00:17:22.069 and everywhere that you listen to podcasts, okay? 00:17:22.230 --> 00:17:25.430 We're available on Apple, Spotify, and a few 00:17:25.430 --> 00:17:27.470 other places. 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You can follow me on Twitter at 00:18:21.450 --> 00:18:26.089 GMKale, G -M -K -A -I -L -E, as well as on Blue 00:18:26.089 --> 00:18:30.230 Sky, GMKale, G -M -K -A -I -L -E, all right? 00:18:30.450 --> 00:18:33.009 All the links to all of my social media accounts 00:18:33.009 --> 00:18:35.269 and everything else is in the description of 00:18:35.269 --> 00:18:37.690 every single episode, all right? So as always, 00:18:37.750 --> 00:18:39.369 I hope I gave you guys the fix that you guys 00:18:39.369 --> 00:18:41.390 need. I love you guys, appreciate you guys so 00:18:41.390 --> 00:18:43.430 much. Stay tuned, more content will be coming 00:18:43.430 --> 00:18:45.930 out soon. As always, this is your GM Kale signing 00:18:45.930 --> 00:18:47.859 out. Peace. love. Later guys.