PALM BEACH, Fla. — Mike Tomlin was sitting on the courtyard patio at the swank Breakers resort Sunday afternoon, wearing aviator sunglasses and white shorts and looking as relaxed as an NFL head coach can be who has spending his time attending competition committee meetings, traveling to pro days, dining with prospective draft choices and spending more money on six outside free agents than at any point in Steelers history.
Despite sitting in the shadows of a cloudless South Florida blue sky while giant palmetto trees swayed in the ocean breezes, Tomlin was nonetheless upset – he used another more descriptive word – he will not be able to attend the pro day of North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell on Monday.
Before coming here on Friday, two days before the official start of the league’s owners meetings, Tomlin spent last week traveling the country to evaluate and meet with three of the top quarterbacks in the NFL draft – Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis and Matt Corral. He dubbed the process “quarterback week,” something he enjoys doing almost as much as beating the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals or Cleveland Browns.
“I like the work,” Tomlin said. “My time is better spent out beating the bushes as opposed to guarding my desk.”
The annual NFL owners meetings represent something of a watershed moment for Tomlin: This is the first time he speaks publicly to the media since a season-ending news conference. Since his previous public declaration on Jan. 18, the Steelers have added Brian Flores to the coaching staff despite his racial discrimination lawsuit against the league, signed quarterback Mitch Trubisky as a possible replacement for future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger and spent $85.25 million to sign six outside free agents. One of those is inside linebacker Myles Jack, whom Tomlin said was as eager to join the Steelers as the Steelers were eager to pair him alongside Devin Bush.
Tomlin called Jack, 26, a “see-ball, get-ball” type of player.
“The thing that fires me up the most is the level of excitement he had,” Tomlin said. “It didn’t take long in a phone conversation to realize he was just as fired up about potentially being a part of us and we were about potentially having him. You guys know I live by the philosophical approach, ‘Volunteers, not hostages.’ It was really exciting to hear the level of enthusiasm he had to be a part of it.”
While the addition of the free agents was the Steelers’ biggest offseason heist in history – made possible by having the most salary-cap space since Kevin Colbert became general manager in 2000 – the biggest headline was generated when the team added Flores as its senior defensive assistant/linebacker coach.
The hiring came shortly after Flores sued the league for racial discrimination as part of what he claimed were unfair hiring practices by several teams. Tomlin said he reached out to Flores because he felt it necessary once the legal issues surfaced.
“I didn’t want him to feel like he was on an island,” Tomlin said.
He said the move by the Steelers during a sensitive time is “one of the things that makes me most proud being a part of our organization. To have an opportunity to impact the game in a positive way, to impact society in a positive way … it’s continually an honor to be a part of something the Rooney family has started and led for a long time.”
Tomlin said Flores’ title is just a small indication of what the former Miami Dolphins head coach will bring to the Steelers coaching staff.
“There’s so many ways he’s going to help us and help me, in particular,” Tomlin said. “I love sharpening my sword on his and gaining a perspective his experiences provide. We’re talking about a myriad of things. His contributions are going to be significant.”
In other developments, Tomlin said:
• He’s “open” to the possibility of moving center Kendrick Green to guard, the position Green mostly played in college. The option is available after the Steelers signed C/G Mason Cole and G James Daniels in free agency. “We really feel good about having an opportunity to put the pieces together and put the very best unit on the field but also have quality depth.”
• He is “excited and optimistic” about the possible return of defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who missed all the of the 2021 season with personal issues. However, “I don’t have any definitive information regarding his participating in 2022.”
• He thinks every owner “has a desire to address” the overtime issue after what happened in the Kansas City-Buffalo playoff game. Two proposals have been put in front of the owners by the competition committee, though only one which would guarantee each team have at least one possession in the extra period. “Hopefully we’ll come to some resolution,” Tomlin said.
