Mike Tomlin gets the last laugh in spat with former Steelers QB

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and current Fox Sports personality Terry Bradshaw recently was asked about his opinion on current Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and the job that he has done during his tenure with the team. Bradshaw is not one to bite his tongue and he kept the up with him comments on Tomlin.

Appearing on the FS1 show “Speak For Yourself”, the former Pittsburgh quarterback was not shy about how good of a coach he truly thinks Tomlin has been.

“I don’t think he’s a great coach at all. He’s a nice coach. To me, I’ve said this, he’s really a great cheerleader guy. I don’t know what he does. I don’t think he is a great coach at all. His name never even pops in my mind when we think about great coaches in the NFL.”

– Terry Bradshaw on Steelers coach Mike Tomlin

The Steelers recently clinched their third straight trip to the postseason and their seventh trip in Tomlin’s 10 years as the team’s head coach.

In the NFL, much of a coach’s success is judged on getting his team to the playoffs. So it seems a bit confusing as to why Bradshaw does not think Tomlin has been a good coach while in Pittsburgh.

But of course, it did not take long for Tomlin to share his opinion on what the former Steelers quarterback had to say.

“I appreciate the support. But criticism and critique are very much a part of our business. It’s an element of our business that as a competitor I embrace. The term ‘great,’ that’s something I have a great deal of respect for.

I certainly don’t think that my résumé to this point reads as great. But very few coaches’ résumés read as that at this point. Guys like Bill [Belichick] in New England probably can say that, Pop [Gregg Popovich] down in San Antonio. I think the rest of us are just working stiffs to be quite honest with you.

Terms like cheerleader guy, to me, maybe fall outside of bounds of critique or criticism. They probably fall more toward the area of disrespect and unprofessional. But what do I know? I grew up a Dallas fan. Particularly a [Thomas] ‘Hollywood’ Henderson fan.”

– Mike Tomlin on Bradshaw’s comments (via ESPN)

Pittsburgh’s coach got a in little jab at Bradshaw with the mention of Henderson, a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker who was famous for joking about the stupidity of the former Steelers quarterback.

So for now, maybe Bradshaw should just take a step back and be the “cheerleader” for the franchise that made him famous while they attempt to win another Super Bowl trophy.