Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Shuts Down The Idea of Antonio Brown Returning, Reflects On Time As His Coach

Mike Tomlin didn’t bite his tongue about the idea of problematic and currently unemployed wide receiver Antonio Brown returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Mike Tomlin Is Not Interested In Coaching Antonio Brown Again

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stopped by his former player Ryan Clark’s podcast, The Pivot, for a rare interview. Of course, Clark’s co-host Fred Taylor brought up Antonio Brown, who was also a guest on the show, and the fact he said he would love to return to Pittsburgh. The Super Bowl-winning head coach quickly shut down that idea but is open to Brown signing a one-day contract to retire as a Steeler.

“Y’all know that ain’t happening,” Tomlin quickly replied. “He’s moved on, we’ve moved on,” he added.

Mike Tomlin Has Plenty of Respect For Antonio Brown

But it wasn’t all bad when talking about “that guy,” as Tomlin called him. The head coach reflected on what it was like to coach a talent like Antonio Brown and had glowing words to say about the DONDA Sports president. 

“What I’ll say about AB is this, we had nine great years,” Tomlin said. “I appreciate that dude in ways I can’t explain to y’all. … I don’t think enough gets said about the will of that dude, about the work ethic of that dude, about the fearlessness in which he played the game. … I’ve never seen him blink on the football field. I’ve never seen him shy away from anything that was uncomfortable on the football field. I’ve only seen him run into burning buildings, as they say, on the football field. We talk about all this other stuff, but we don’t talk about that.”

“Unbelievable will. Unbelievable work ethic. Unbelievable belief in himself. That’s what I think about when I think about the nine years that I spent with that dude,” he continued.

The Steelers head coach even marveled at Brown’s punt returning skills saying at one point he was “the best punt returner on the planet.”

Mike Tomlin on Antonio Brown: #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/J5FMB0Xmr9

— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) June 22, 2022

Tomlin even talked about the importance of coaching, which left many in agreement that they would run through a wall for the head coach.

Man I could listen to Mike Tomlin coach me how to bake a cake and I’d be Betty Crocker in that bih. https://t.co/eEe87VnZil

— Prentice Penny (aka Charcuterie Papi) (@The_A_Prentice) June 22, 2022

You can peep the entire interview and more reactions to it in the gallery below.

Photo: George Gojkovich / Getty

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