The Pittsburgh Steelers' season might be over, but Mike Tomlin isn't taking a day off from the fire quotes.
The head coach is known for his very particular way with words—you might recognize such bangers as "We do not care," or "Don't blink. If you're a blinker cut your eyelids off"—and he dropped yet another so-called "Tomlinism" during his season-ending press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Asked whether the "baggage" of the team's playoff win drought is getting "heavier," Tomlin fired back with a true all-timer: "I got big shoulders," he quipped.
Mike Tomlin on carrying the baggage of the lack of playoff wins: "I got big shoulders"
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 14, 2025
Now, whether that answer satisfies ring-hungry fans, we will see. The 52-year-old head coach clinched a Super Bowl title early in his Pittsburgh tenure, but he hasn't managed to replicate that magic in a long time; indeed, the team consistently makes it to the playoffs, but hasn't won a postseason contest since the 2016 season. Now, given the unit's disappointing 2024 finish, conversations around the long-tenured leader's viability at the helm once again abound.
The coach also addressed that chatter during his appearance on Tuesday.
"I understand the nature of what it is that we do, the attention and criticism that comes with it," he said. "I embrace it, to be honest with you. I enjoy the urgency that comes with what I do and what we do. I don't make excuses for failure. I own it. But I also feel like I'm capable. As long as I'm afforded an opportunity to do that, I'll continue. But I certainly understand [the fans'] frustrations. Probably more important than that, I share it."
Tomlin likely will be given that chance; reports suggest he'll be staying in the 412 for the foreseeable future, with plenty of opportunities to unveil more Tomlinisms and, if fans are lucky, plenty of time for him to prove his critics wrong.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steelers' Mike Tomlin Drops New Four-Word Tomlinism During Season-Ending Presser .
