Brooke Pryor, ESPN Personnel Scribbler
PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin isn’t going any place.
Days nearest strolling out of a postgame press convention all through a query about his month, the Pittsburgh Steelers head lecturer mentioned his hearth for the task has “intensified” and he expects to get a oath extension this offseason.
“I expect to be back, and I would imagine that those contract things are going to run their course,” Tomlin mentioned at his finish of season press convention Thursday. “Art [Rooney II] and I have a really good transparent relationship. We communicate continually often. I don’t imagine it’s going to be an issue, and I imagine it’s going to get done in a timely manner at the appropriate time, but my mindset is to coach his football team.”
He additionally defined his walk-off all through the overall query of the clicking convention following the wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills and said that he didn’t deal with it smartly.
“I certainly could have handled that situation better than I did,” Tomlin mentioned. “But I’ll also say this, I just believe there’s a time and place for everything and postgame press conferences are probably not the place to address contract issues and things of that nature. It’s just a very individual thing and on game day I doubt any of us are in that mindset, Certainly I am not.”
Tomlin signed a three-year oath extension in 2021, tying him to the workforce throughout the 2024 season. Out of doors hypothesis swirled overdue within the season that the lecturer would possibly imagine stepping away for a 12 months nearest the 2023 season, however Tomlin laughed and spoke back with a easy, “no” when requested if he instructed someone he had thought to be taking a fracture.
“I understand speculation is a component of what it is that we do,” Tomlin mentioned. “I try not to get caught up in it or distracted by it, particularly when it is not where I’m at. And so that’s been my mindset regarding it.”
Tomlin, who’s prepared to go into his 18th season because the Steelers’ head lecturer, mentioned his procedure for comparing his month on the finish of each and every season hasn’t modified.
“I coach football, that’s what I do,” Tomlin mentioned. “I’m respectful of the position that I hold. I have no sense of entitlement in terms of what I do. I just got a high level of respect for what we all do in this space, and I try to earn it daily and I think that’s just my mentality.
“I don’t contemplate a quantity of items. I’m appreciative of items day-to-day and I attempt to paintings with urgency day-to-day, and I don’t know that that has modified. It most definitely hasn’t from my viewpoint. I’m at all times on walk.”
That “walk” mentality and his experience also leads him to believe he’s still the right person to lead the Steelers, despite not winning a playoff game since 2016.
“51 years of past,” he said, explaining why he’s the man for the job. “I discussed that — I feel on this atmosphere previous — I’m now not missing self belief in my skill to do the task, time on the similar moment there’s frustration as a result of I need that confetti for this staff.
“And so whatever we got to do to do it, whatever changes need to be made, I’m open to it.”
Despite the fact that he said there’s some worth to the extension this moment round as a result of the safety it might serve to applicants for the vacant offensive coordinator place, Tomlin downplayed the urgency and usefulness of the timing to get it achieved.
“That’s a component of it,” Tomlin mentioned. “Fielding less questions from you guys regarding those things is a component of it, but that’s probably the only level of importance for me, to be quite honest with you, security is cool, but it’s not a top priority for me.
“I’ve obvious a quantity. I’m now not job-scared, however it does serve much less questions and issues of that nature.”
Tomlin said Thursday he anticipates making an outside hire at offensive coordinator, meaning that Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan, who split the coordinator duties after the in-season firing of Matt Canada, won’t reprise those roles next season.
“I need us to be flexible and dynamic,” Tomlin said, describing what he’s looking for in an offensive coordinator. “Clearly we were given to attain extra issues. I need so that you could conserve defenses off-balance. I wish to make the most of the entire skill that we have got at our disposal. I’m thinking about this procedure and the skill puddle in the market.”
Though Tomlin plans to go outside the organization for an offensive coordinator, he said the starting quarterback for the 2024 season is already in-house. He committed to Kenny Pickett resuming his role as the starter, but added Pickett will have competition.
“There’s at all times pageant on this factor,” Tomlin said. “We don’t anoint someone, guy. I’m appreciative of his efforts and the place he’s and thinking about proceeding to paintings with him, however for sure he’ll be challenged from a contest viewpoint transferring ahead. Festival brings the most efficient out in all folks.”
Quarterback Mason Rudolph, who turned in consistent and solid performances in four starts to end the season, is set to be a free agent, but Tomlin expressed a desire to bring him back.
“I can’t underscore how notable it’s to be able, disregard efficiency guy, to be able in order, and he was once,” Tomlin said of Rudolph. “And that preparedness confirmed, and so for sure we’re much less speculative about his functions as a result of there’s proof of it, proof of it in difficult instances.”
