Mike Tomlin gives thoughts on Ryan Tannehill comments, role of veteran QBs in player development

Mike Tomlin is on Ryan Tannehill’s side after the Titans quarterback claimed last week it isn’t his job to mentor rookie Malik Willis. The Pittsburgh Steelers coach made an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show this weekend, where he was asked about Tannehill’s stance on serving as a mentor for Willis this season and whether that should even be expected of veteran quarterbacks.

“It’s good when it occurs, but it’s certainly not necessary,” Tomlin said. “That’s why we have offensive coordinators, quarterback coaches, assistant quarterback coaches. People who are employed and their sole focus is the development of players. Certainly there’s growth and development opportunities and learning opportunities among players, but it is definitely not their function. Their function is to have themselves ready to go and be good teammates. That’s probably what you speak to just in terms of providing common human decency and courtesy to someone if you can help them along the way. I’m sure Ryan is open to that. I think he was just stating the obvious. He’s not employed to do that. He’s employed to play quarterback.”

Tannehill received plenty of flack after stating in a recent interview that he wasn’t required to mentor Willis, who was drafted No. 86 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Players around the league were split in their opinion on Tannehill’s comments, with some calling it bad leadership and others pointing to the fact he has a starting job to protect.

“We’re competing against each other, we’re watching the same tape, we’re doing the same drills,” Tannehill said Tuesday. “I don’t think it’s my job to mentor him, but if he learns from me along the way, then that’s a great thing.”

The statement from Ryan Tannehill is certainly relevant to Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, who drafted a quarterback of their own this offseason in Kenny Pickett. With Ben Roethlisberger retiring this past season, the future of the franchise now rests on Pickett’s shoulders. The Pittsburgh Panthers product is coming off of a spectacular senior season in which he threw for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.

Although the Steelers don’t necessarily have a veteran quarterback on their roster, they did add Mitch Trubisky through free agency. A former first round pick and starter for the Chicago Bears, Trubisky is set to enter his sixth NFL season in 2022. In that time, he has likely gained some knowledge that could be beneficial for Pickett and his development.

But complicating things is the fact that Trubisky is also competing for a starting job after spending last year as a backup to Josh Allen in Buffalo. With that being the case, he could take the Tannehill route and choose to focus on himself rather than serving as an additional coach for Pickett.

Whatever happens, however, Tomlin and the Steelers are prepared to help their rookie quarterback grow. As the coach said, there are plenty of people in place to ensure Pickett gets up to speed, and he certainly won’t lack for mentors.