PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – TJ Watt put his poker face when asked about what Mike Tomlin told the team on Tuesday as about an hour after, it was leaked to the NFL Network that Tomlin told them he will return for the 2024 season.
The 17-year Steelers head coach is under contract for next season, but there had been a lot of speculation that really started when the team didn't give him an extension before the start of the 2023 football year. Typically, the Steelers offer their head coach a new contract going into the second-to-last year of his current deal.
Tomlin was asked about it at the start of training camp in July and said 'I'm thankful that I'm at a stage in life and my career where it is a non-issue for me'. He added he doesn't care about contracts and that he's seen more days that he's going to see from a coaching standpoint.
Speculation ran from there and grew after walking away from the podium after the game on Monday after he was asked a question about it. Now NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports Tomlin told his team he will return.
"I want to play for Mike T. that was huge in my contract talks," said TJ Watt on Tuesday. "I don't want to play for anybody but Mike T. You guys understand and see in the way I talk about how much I respect and appreciate him as a coach, as a man, as a leader."
"That's all I know," said Steelers tailback Jaylen Warren about Tomlin.
"He's a great head coach. I would like to play for him the rest of my career.
Just the way he goes about his business. How he takes care of us. From what I've heard from other places, that's not the case sometimes. I actually don't want to find that out."
Cam Heyward said Tomlin had been done a disservice by all of the chatter around him. He said Tuesday that Tomlin brings the same focus now that he has his entire career.
"I've said all along my whole career here, never too high, never too low, always consistent," Watt said before the Ravens game. "The team meetings are always incredible. I wish everybody had the chance to sit in those team meetings."
He said he got guys to work their asses off for him and trust in each other because of him. Watt said none of that would have been possible without Tomlin as head coach.
"I've had some great coaches in my life," said linebacker Mykal Walker.
"There is something about him. He brings excellence out of you."
"He's very direct when he is speaking to us," said receiver Diontae Johnson. "I feel those messages get us hyped, stuff that we need to hear. We are not perfect. We just come to work and try to do our best. That's all we can do and we are going to continue to do that."
He said the team has not tuned out his message. It's something that is paid attention to every morning. He always has pointers on how they can improve. Chandon Sullivan said behind the scenes he's critical of players. He tells them it's a job, but reinforces if you put the hours in with attention to detail, the results will come.
"Treat us like grown men, don't baby us," Sullivan said. "At the same time, give us the respect we deserve. That's what they do a good job of doing here. Who doesn't want to play for a coach like that."
"When I first got signed to this team, I said I always wanted to play for Mike T.," Walker said. "There is a certain level of expectations that he demands. Most times it's not even words, it's just the presence that he has. He demands excellence."
"I think just him as a whole," said linebacker Elandon Roberts, who also played for Bill Belichick and Brian Flores. "A leader amongst men. How he approaches it. How he looks at the game. You just really see the detail and diligence in why he is where is he from a coaching standpoint. It's great to be able to say he's my head coach."
According to the NFL Network, he will remain his head coach for at least 2024. Could that also come with a contract extension? That could be key when talking to new offensive coordinator candidates.
The NFL season is never over.
