1 of 5 | Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis ranks second on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ all-time rushing yards list, with 10,571, trailing only Franco Harris (11,950). File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo
Jerome Bettis believes the Pittsburgh Steelers “let down” former coach Mike Tomlin with their personnel decisions, the franchise legend told UPI.
Bettis, who spent 10 of his 13 Hall of Fame seasons with the AFC North franchise, said the franchise “fell short” of its previous standard by not supporting Tomlin with a championship-caliber roster. Tomlin stepped down from his role in January, ending his 19-year tenure with the Steelers.
“From a head coach perspective, you feel comfortable knowing they are going to do the right thing organizationally to put you in the best position to win and win a championship,” said Bettis, who will participate in the American Century Tournament from July 10 to 12 in Lake Tahoe.
“That’s been the goal. A little bit of that has fallen short.”
The Steelers, who won a Super Bowl in Tomlin’s second season (2008), went 193-114-2 under their former coach. They advanced to the postseason in 13 of his 19 seasons, including five of his final six years. But the Steelers, who went 5-2 in Tomlin’s first three postseason runs, were just 3-10 in playoff games over his final 15 seasons.
“I believe the organization let down Tomlin, just a little bit, in the sense that he didn’t have the right personnel to win a championship the last few years,” Bettis said. “Since they hadn’t given him the quarterback he needed, he’s had to kinda piecemeal and put teams together.
“That’s the only blemish on the organization as of late.”
Tomlin worked with two different general managers during his tenure. Kevin Colbert held the position from 2000 to 2021. Omar Khan took over in 2022 and remains in the role. The Steelers advanced to the AFC Championship Game six times, leading to three Super Bowl appearances, during Colbert’s tenure. They won two titles, including one with Bettis and former coach Bill Cowher in 2005-06.
Ben Roethlisberger was the Steelers’ starting quarterback during all of those aforementioned postseason runs.
“It’s been an organization that gets it and supports the coach,” Bettis said. “That’s what it boils down to. When you don’t have support from ownership, then it doesn’t work. That’s what the Steelers are known for, steady ownership.
“They don’t overreact and they make measured decisions that impact and effect the organization in a positive way.”
Cowher was the only head coach Bettis played for during his time with the Steelers. Tomlin, Cowher and Chuck Noll are the only coaches the Steelers have had over the last 57 years.
Now, Mike McCarthy, who was hired in January, will be tasked with matching that consistency. Bettis said that stability previously resulted in clear expectations for Steelers players.
“It’s the expectation,” Bettis said. “You know what to expect. Coach knows what he is going to get from you. It’s exactly what you would want. You want to know what is coming down, what is happening. When players are in the gray and don’t know what to expect, that’s when you have that uncertainty from an athlete perspective, which leads to a little timidness and you can’t be the best version of yourself.
“When you aren’t the best version of yourself, it bleeds on to the field. When you have steady leadership and got a coach that’s been there for a long time, you understand what the standard is, you know what the expectation is and then you go out to meet that every single day. It’s pretty easy when you have that consistent leadership.”
Fans can watch Bettis and a cast of other former and current star athletes compete in the American Century Tournament at Edgewood Golf Course on NBC and Peacock. Recent winners of the celebrity golf tournament include Stephen Curry, Tony Romo, Mardy Fish and Joe Pavelski.
The Steelers held their final organized team activity session of the week Friday in Pittsburgh. They will hold mandatory minicamp Tuesday through Thursday. They will hold additional organized team activities June 8, 9, 11 and 12.
