July 4, 2024

Ravens’ John Harbaugh never believed Steelers’ Mike Tomlin was leaving organization

Indianapolis — The late-season speculations about Mike Tomlin leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers with a year left on his contract proved to be false.
Tomlin’s old opponent in the AFC North didn’t believe the rumors either.
Like many others, John Harbaugh did not believe Tomlin was going anywhere, and he could not imagine the Steelers being coached by anybody else.
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“No and no,” Harbaugh answered when asked about each scenario at the NFL Combine on Tuesday. “No, and no.” I have a lot of respect and affection for Coach Tomlin, the Steelers organization, and the players.
Tomlin, who is now in the final year of his contract but is anticipated to be extended, is the NFL’s longest-tenured coach, having spent 17 seasons with the Steelers. Harbaugh is hard on his heels, having joined the Ravens in 2008, one year after Tomlin’s debut in Pittsburgh.
Harbaugh reminisced about his time as tight ends coach at Pitt in 1987, and he praised mammoth running back Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, father of Walter Payton Man of the Year Cameron Heyward.
“First guy ever, 300-plus pounds to lead a BYU defensive back down the sideline and run another 40 yards for a touchdown,” Harbaugh said of Heyward, the elder. “I believe (Cameron) represents them now, as well as their tradition. So I’d reply ‘no and no’ to both of those queries (regarding Tomlin).
Harbaugh, like Tomlin, has earned a Super Bowl title. Like Tomlin, he hasn’t coached in the big game in over a decade. The Ravens’ last appearance was after the 2012 season.
Nonetheless, the Ravens have backed Harbaugh in the same way that the Steelers have supported Tomlin. Harbaugh overcame a three-year drought from 2015 to 2017 when Baltimore failed to make the playoffs, and he is 2-5 in his last seven playoff games, including a 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the most recent AFC championship game.

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