Bradshaw: Steelers' Tomlin is 'not my kind of coach'

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw has been very public with his criticism of the team's current head coach Mike Tomlin over the last few years.

The NFL television analyst was at it again recently, telling 97.3 The Fan in San Diego that Tomlin might get more out of his team if he altered his approach as a player's coach.

"I played for a tough sucker, and I was afraid of him, and we played our (expletive) off for him because we feared him," the 70-year-old Bradshaw said of his coach, Chuck Noll. "I don't see that with this guy. He's chest bumping and all that.

"I'm the head of the corporation, I'm the CEO, I'm the chairman of the board, I'm talking to the stockholders telling them here's how we're gonna do at the end of the quarter. I'm selling this thing, and I'm not delivering the goods, which is championships. You've got to face the criticism. I'm sorry, but he's not my kind of coach. I've said it before, I'll say it again."

The Steelers won one Super Bowl in 2008 under Tomlin's watch, although Bradshaw feels that number would be greater if the team had a better coach.

"Mike Tomlin is winning football games, but at the same time, Super Bowls are disappearing, and that's my criticism," Bradshaw said. "How can you have this great offense and you being a defensive guy, and I think that football team should have been in another Super Bowl or two. How could they not be?

"And to lose at home to Jacksonville (in the AFC divisional round), I don't care how good of a run Jacksonville is on, I don't care how Jacksonville played New England in the championship game. You don't lose 45-42. Are you kidding me? In a championship game?"

Bradshaw criticized Tomlin for offensive coordinator Todd Haley's departure in January. Pittsburgh promptly promoted wide receivers coach Randy Fichtner to offensive coordinator, while Haley later assumed the same position with the Cleveland Browns.

Bradshaw also famously referred to Tomlin as a "great cheerleader guy" in December 2016.

Bradshaw quarterbacked the Steelers from 1970-83 and won four Super Bowl titles. He is considered one of the top players in Pittsburgh history.

Noll had 193 career wins with the Steelers from 1969-1991.

As a comparison, Tomlin has never had a losing record. He is one of eight head coaches in NFL history to win at least 100 games in the first 10 years on the job.