Mike Tomlin betrays Aaron Rodgers and turns to Josh Allen with an unexpected comment
Mike Tomlin made his choice: Josh Allen is the NFL quarterback he wants to coach most — and his reason has everyone talking.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen continues to earn recognition around the NFL , and he has now received one of the biggest endorsements possible from Mike Tomlin , the former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers .
Tomlin, who began a new chapter as a commentator following his unexpected departure from Pittsburgh , made headlines this week with his comments about Buffalo’s star quarterback. Despite spending years facing two of the league’s top quarterbacks in his own division, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow , the former Steelers coach selected Allen as the best player at his position right now.
Mike Tomlin ranks Josh Allen above other NFL quarterbacks
During an interview with Pro Football Focus , Tomlin was asked which current NFL quarterback he would like to coach. The former Steelers head coach did not hesitate and chose Allen, passing over former AFC North rivals such as Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals.
“It’s Josh for me, man,” Tomlin said on the PFF NFL Show. “It just seems like he’s at his best in the most critical moments. Late in games, he finds a way to get it done, and he can do it with his arm. He can do it with his legs. He looks like not only does he want it, he needs it. He looks like he’s built for it.”
“I have a lot of respect for that guy. That’s the guy as far as I’m concerned,” Tomlin added.
Although Tomlin’s defenses managed to contain Allen at times, the Bills quarterback owns a 4-1 career record against teams coached by Tomlin. In those matchups, Allen totaled 1,194 passing yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions, posting an 87.7 passer rating, numbers below his usual career averages.
Josh Allen faces a season with major expectations
The Bills enter the 2026 season facing enormous pressure following the offseason firing of longtime head coach Sean McDermott . The franchise promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady as its new head coach and traded for wide receiver DJ Moore , hoping to provide Allen with another dynamic weapon in the passing game.
Buffalo was ranked No. 3 in Yahoo Sports’ power rankings , with the outlet identifying the Bills as the biggest threat to dethrone the favored Los Angeles Rams .
“The Buffalo Bills displayed some urgency to get Josh Allen to a Super Bowl, firing Sean McDermott after an overtime loss in the divisional round of the playoffs,” the report noted. “They hired Joe Brady as their new head coach, traded for receiver DJ Moore and made some improvements to the defense in pursuit of a championship. Allen turned 30 in May, which isn’t ancient for a quarterback. But there won’t be infinite opportunities with him either.”
The analysis also suggested that if Buffalo finally breaks through and reaches the Super Bowl , a potential matchup could come against the Rams.
“Allen has had some monster games against the Rams, if that ends up being a Super Bowl matchup,” the report stated. “In three outings against the Rams, he has 950 passing yards and 10 touchdowns with 146 rushing yards and five more touchdowns on the ground. His average against the Rams is more than 300 passing yards, almost 50 rushing yards and five total touchdowns.”
The Buffalo quarterback has averaged more than 300 passing yards, nearly 50 rushing yards and five total touchdowns per game against Los Angeles. While those Rams defenses did not feature Myles Garrett , Allen has already proven he can hurt teams coached by Sean McVay .
