Micah Parsons may be helping Packers in unexpected way after latest interaction with Mike Tomlin ahead of NBA game in San Antonio
Edge defender half-jokingly said he wants the former Steelers head coach in Green Bay, and he would actually be the perfect addition.
Micah Parsons is locked in on the idea of helping the Green Bay Packers any way possible. Besides his production on the field and his work to return from a knee injury, the star edge defender is now trying to make the coaching staff better as well.
Parsons was in San Antonio on Thursday night for Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, and that’s when he saw former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
“We got a spot for you,” Parsons told Tomlin in a tongue-in-cheek comment. “Just keep coming north.”
A new moment for Mike Tomlin
After 19 seasons as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin decided to retire from football this offseason. The 54-year-old coach signed with NBC to become an analyst on “Football Night in America.” So, let’s be clear, it’s highly unlikely that Tomlin would want to work for an NFL team again anytime soon.
That being said, head coach Matt LaFleur has done a good job adding experienced coaches to the staff by taking advantage of certain situations. For instance, Robert Saleh and Luke Getsy had roles with the Packers after being fired by the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders, respectively — Getsy was eventually promoted to a full-time position again.
Mike Tomlin might not be available for a full-time position. But just his presence as a senior advisor or something like that would be massive for LaFleur and the players.
Helpful experience
Mike Tomlin has been around the NFL since 2001. He worked on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a defensive backs coach for five years, one under Tony Dungy and four under Jon Gruden. After spending just one season as a defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, he was hired by the Steelers in 2007. That means going to Green Bay would be a return to the NFC North after two decades.
That was obviously a light interaction and there’s no material chance for Tomlin to actually be a part of the Packers staff at the moment. But let’s be real, getting Tomlin in the mix to help defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon would be an excellent outcome for the roster.