PITTSBURGH -- Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is having a blast in his post-coaching career. As an analyst for Football Night in America, he has been one of the most entertaining voices on television. It's something the Steelers are all too familiar with, as Tomlin was one of the most charismatic presences in the NFL during his 19-season run as Pittsburgh's head coach.
No longer tied to the Steelers or beholden to a contract the NFL pays, Tomlin has become unfiltered for the better. During his program's coverage of the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks Week 7 matchup, Tomlin addressed the New York Giants' improving run game. He dropped a classic Tomlin line when describing Giants head coach John Harbaugh's recent moves as "killing a mosquito with an axe," but it was his comments on former New York and Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris that really caught attention.
After Harris voiced his displeasure with the running scheme, the Giants released the former Steelers first-round pick. Tomlin, who coached the running back his first four years in the NFL, called out Harris and said the Giants sent a message after he spoke out.
"Najee Harris spoke out about a lack of rhythm in run/carry opportunities," he said. "And now he's unemployed. Message sent. You can always ease up and be buddy-buddy. I just think it's important at the early stages to establish a rapport, and that's what he's (Giants HC John Harbaugh) doing."
The comments are equally hilarious and illuminating. In his first year with the Giants, Harbaugh is trying to institute his schemes and culture. It's very similar to the process the Steelers are undergoing with Mike McCarthy running the show.
Harbaugh took heat for the team's rushing struggles earlier in the season. Things came to a head when Cam Skattebo, the team's most impactful running back, was held without a rushing carry in Week 6.
The Giants received that spark in Week 7, however. Skattebo posted 124 yards and Devin Singletary posted an additional 41 yards, while Harris watched from home.
And Tomlin's comments could be taken as a shot directly at Harris, but I don't see it that way. Tomlin didn't criticize Harris's character or call him a bad teammate or anything like that. Instead, his comments were focused on what a head coach has to do to establish control of his locker room.
The truth is that it takes some shocking moves. Sometimes you have to release a running back for questioning the team's plans in the run game. Even if Harris held no ill intentions with his recent comments, Harbaugh made an example out of him.
You can't argue with the results. Maybe it was overkill, like killing a mosquito with an axe. But it also helped the Giants win and extend their record to 4-2-1 through the first seven games. Tomlin spoke the ugly part out loud during Sunday Night Football on NBC, something he frequently did as the Steelers' head coach for such a long time.
Message sent.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/steelers/onsi as Former Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Doesn't Hold Back About Najee Harris Release .
