“
He’s really a great cheerleader guy. I don’t know what he does but I, I don’t think that he’s a great coach at all” said
Terry Bradshaw, back in 2016 on
Mike Tomlin. That was 8 years ago. Since then, the
Steelers have not won a single playoff game. While they entered the playoffs five times in the past eight years, they have not managed to make it past the first round. Either losing in the Divisional Round or losing in the Wild Card Berth. For the former Steeler, their failure all comes down to how Tomlin uses the QB.
The collapse of the Steelers isn’t just one man’s fault. While Tomlin calls the shots, he has been unlucky with the coaches he has partnered with. In 2021, they elevated
Matt Canada to the Offensive Coach position. That was the biggest mistake the franchise might have ever made. In 44 games as the OC,
the Steelers never ranked better than 23rd in yards and 21st in points under Canada. By the end of 2023, they ranked 25th in yards and 31st in passing touchdowns. An all-time low in the past decade. While Canada’s offensive game was the main reason for 2023’s difficult campaign, QB
Kenny Pickett also got caught in the crossfire.
Critics put a lot of blame on Kenny Pickett, even though he didn’t have a lot to work with. Terry Bradshaw in the
To The Point Home Services Podcast shared his opinion on how Mike Tomlin misused Pickett. “
The Steelers get rid of, Kenny Pickett a first rounder, got rid of them after two years. All right. And they’re still looking for a quarterback. They didn’t even do anything to build around him.” Kenny Pickett was joined by Canada, who annihilated any chance the offense had. According to Terry Bradshaw, Pickett had the qualities of a great QB, but Tomlin didn’t give
him a quality arsenal of weapons to use. Or even the time to build a team around him.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cleveland Browns Minicamp Jun 10, 2025 Berea, OH, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett 8 throws a pass during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Berea CrossCountry Mortgage Campus OH USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250610_kab_bk4_014
When the first-round Kenny Pickett walked into the Steelers’ locker room in 2022, Mike Tomlin was asking him to fill the shoes of 2-time Super Bowl Champion and 6-time Pro Bowler Ben Roethlisberger. He was a rookie. The Steelers wanted a legend out of him. Pickett finished the season with a 63.0% completion rate, 2404 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions in 13 games. On paper, this screams below average.
However, he was efficient and clutch late in the season, his record in the last 8 games being 6-2. He even had 2 back-to-back, game-winning touchdowns late in the 4th Quarter in Week 16 with the
Raiders and in Week 17 with the
Ravens. And he showed the same development at the start of 2023 before a season-ending injury in week 13. That was it. That’s how Pickett’s chapter with the Steelers ends. When Pickett wanted to come back, Tomlin wanted him on the third team. From filling the shoes of a legend to a third-team quarterback, how low did his value fall? Hence, Pickett refused and
was traded the next season. If they did build a team around him, maybe his story would’ve ended differently? But now the
Vikings can tell us the other side. The success story!
Terry Bradshaw on Sam Darnold’s success
“And well look at Sam Darnold. He took a journeyman, who I’ve always liked, I’ve always said does you draft a quarterback in the first round. He is going to be successful. But you’ve got to surround him with the kind of talent he had in college.” In college, Darnold earned the 2016 Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, and led USC to a 52-49 win over Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
Hence, the New York Jets picked Sam third overall because of his performance at the collegiate level. He had a mediocre rookie season with the Jets, with turnover issues and a below-average 57.7% completion rate. He then signed with the Panthers, where again he couldn’t get into a rhythm. The Panthers let him walk as a free agent. He then found the 49ers in 2023, where he witnessed a Super Bowl run, albeit from the bench. It was in 2024 that Sam Darnold found the Minnesota Vikings. And it was a match made in heaven.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Seattle Seahawks Minicamp Jun 11, 2025 Renton, WA, USA Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold 14 passes the ball during mini-camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Renton Virginia Mason Athletic Center WA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xStephenxBrashearx 20250611_SB_bd8_17
The Minnesota Vikings were coming off a 7-10 record in 2023. Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Vikings, where he composed an incredible comeback story. Sam was brought in to be a whetstone for rookie J.J. McCarthy, but because of an injury, Sam became the frontrunner of the team. He became the first quarterback to win 14 games in his first season with a new team. The Vikings’ QB found success because of the weapons he was given, as well as his talent, of course. Joined by Justin Jefferson(103 receptions), Jordan Addison (63 receptions), and Jalen Nailor (28 receptions), a first-round QB is bound to shine. Terry Bradshaw even compared him to Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay.
“Baker Mayfield is in the Tampa Bay playing great now because you got talent around him... Sam Darnold goes into Minnesota. Look at all those weapons. All those weapons. And look what happened. How great did he play? He did play well in the playoff game.” You can hate on Bradshaw as much as you want, but the guy has a knack for understanding the needs of a QB. A 4-time Super Bowl Champion himself, his insights dive us deep into the Quarterback Perspective. In this era, where teams are building on their young quarterbacks, it’s vital that coaches provide good support for them.
The post Terry Bradshaw Doesn’t Hold Back on Mike Tomlin’s QB Plan & Drops Vikings Truth Bomb on Steelers appeared first on EssentiallySports.
