Mike Tomlin is known as a players coach. That label can be misused to the point that Tomlin doesn’t like the term. To the outside, a players coach might sound like a guy who is buddy-buddy with everyone. Tomlin’s age and personality gave plenty of credence to that. But in that locker room, guys play hard for him because of his honesty. Sometimes, his brutal honesty.
Speaking with Michael Irvin on Irvin’s podcast, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster gave an example of that. During one meeting, Tomlin called out one player to step up or step out.
“He’s a real coach,” Smith-Schuster told Irvin.