If there's one thing we know about Mike Tomlin, it's that he doesn't have a regard in the world for the future of the Pittsburgh Steelers; it's all about winning right here and right now. This was made glaringly obvious when Tomlin benched Roman Wilson for a 35-year old Adam Thielen two weeks back.
Now the Steelers' head coach just made another egregious mistake that is sure to stunt the development of one of his young draft picks.
As Wilson was expectedly made a healthy scratch for the third week in a row, he is now joined by rookie running back Kaleb Johnson. The 2025 third-round pick spent time in Tomlin's doghouse early in the season after a costly mistake on special teams. Since then, Johnson has been unable to get back in Coach Tomlin's good graces.
As the Steelers released their inactives list for their Week 16 contest against the Detroit Lions, Johnson's name made a surprise appearance... and Steelers fans have every right to be upset.
Mike Tomlin insists on stunting the development of young Pittsburgh Steelers draft picks
It's hard not to be satisfied with what veteran running back Kenneth Gainwell has brought to the table in recent weeks. The 2025 free agent acquisition and former Philadelphia Eagle has been the most efficient Steelers running back in recent weeks.
However, Johnson has hardly gotten a fair shake to prove himself this season. Despite high hopes as a third-round pick and the Big Ten's leading rusher last season, the Iowa star has been granted just 28 rushing attempts entering Week 16. Many of these have come in garbage time or with the Steelers looking to milk the clock late in the game (which greatly impacts Johnson's efficiency).
Instead of sending the talented draft pick to the bench, Tomlin could have simply allowed him to see what he could do in a larger capacity. Johnson was the best back in power-four football last year when running against stacked boxes. But it's hard to gain any sort of momentum when you're getting a few touches per game.
When the Steelers made Roman Wilson a healthy scratch, fans argued against the decision. The second-year wide receiver out of Michigan made some big plays when called upon this season, while quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph have a collective passer rating of 114.4 when looking in his direction this season.
Just like many other Mike Tomlin decisions we've come accustomed to, this felt like another short-sighted approach from the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. This team is entering a critical game, and obviously, Tomlin is trying to do everything in his power to come away with a win.
But Coach Tomlin continues to stunt the growth and development of his young draft picks. This is just the latest example.