Steelers Tomlin Named To NFL Competition Committee

‘Hey! That’s not what I meant when we made up that rule!!’

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Former Steelers offensive coordinator and Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt played a role on the NFL’s competition committee while he coached the Cards.  Whisenhunt’s out, and Rodger Goodell needed to fill the hole.  Enter Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.  On Tuesday, Tomlin received the call from The Rog that he was invited to be a part of this band of merry men responsible for shaping the ‘improvement’ of the game.

Tomlin joins the committee that consists of fellow coaches and GM’s and team presidents:  Falcons executive Rich McKay (the committee’s chairman), Rams coach Jeff Fisher, Cowboys executive Stephen Jones, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, Giants owner John Mara, Packers president Mark Murphy, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and Texans general manager Rick Smith.  Currently, there are no players on this committee, though players like Troy Polamlu highly suggest that players should become part of decision that affect the way the game is played.

I think Tomlin is a great fit for the committee.  Tomlin is a very smart and cerebral guy.  He seems to fit in well with a group that is of the same ilk – smart gents who don’t get caught up in the emotions of the game.  Even though he gets a bit of criticism to the way he coaches his football team on the field – aka poor game management – his smarts and critical analysis could serve very well on a committee that is in charge of shaping the game of football.  Committees like these need to move slowly and be very calculated, and I think Tomlin can help keep a group like that from jumping the gun on say proposing a rule that disallows ball carriers from lowering their head but continue to allow cut blocks on linemen.  Tomlin certainly is grateful for the nod.

I am humbled and honored to be selected to the Competition Committee by Commissioner [Roger] Goodell.  I am excited for the opportunity to help maintain and strengthen the NFL game, and I look forward to contributing any way that I can.

Could this, however, be a move by Goodell to get the most vocal team in the NFL to shut up when it comes to rule changes and enforcement?  Tomlin has now become part of the ‘establishment’ – an establishment that many Steelers have spoken out against since Goodell’s tenure as Commish.  It’s a pretty bold and brash analysis…. maybe even downright foolish.  But, I think it’s worth pointing out that the leader of Goodell’s biggest critic, the Steelers defense, is now working with and for a governing body in the NFL.  Maybe Goodell hopes the Steelers will be more willing to accept rule changes knowing that their head coach was a part in the change.  Then again, maybe not….

What are your thoughts on Tomlin’s accention to the competition committee?  And, do you think this bodes well or ill for the Steelers?