Steelers Former Tight End Remembers Mike Tomlin Giving Harsh Warning To Pressley Harvin

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't enjoyed the kind of 2023 season that everyone expected after a rather stellar 2023 offseason and preseason. Their offense has struggled more often than not, the defense has been on the field too much to be the kind of dominating force they prefer to be, and the challenges have extended to special teams as well. Third-year punter, Pressley Harvin III has been relied on more in 2023 thanks to an offense without much fire, and Harvin's performances have been a roller coaster that parallels the Steelers' season through nine weeks.

Steelers Former Tight End Has Stories

Despite a 5-3 record, the Steelers haven't been taking the league by storm in 2023, and it has caused a great deal of frustration throughout the fan base. It's easy to nitpick the situation from the outside, but someone who has experienced life within the Steelers franchise as a player is former Steelers tight end, Jace Sternberger. The current free agent was a part of the Steelers squads in 2021 and 2022, and during that time, Pittsburgh drafted a young punter with their seventh-round pick in 2021.

Sternberger was on the Locked On Packers podcast on Friday to talk about the differences between Mike Tomlin and Green Bay Packers Head Coach, Matt LaFleur. The former Steelers tight end was on the Packers' roster during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, so there is enough experience there to compare the two coaches and how they go about things in the NFL. 

Sternberger was on the podcast talking about what made Tomlin such an excellent motivator for his players, and he recalled a story from Harvin's rookie season in 2021. According to Sternberger, Tomlin called out Harvin during a film review in a team meeting, and the manner in which it was done stuck with Sternberger well after he had left Pittsburgh.

"His thing to say is he likes to keep everything in-house, but he will go shopping, meaning he's about to hit the market. This is day one, one of my first team meetings I'm in. He's just like, 'Harvin, Pressley Harvin,' whatever he was calling him at the time. He's like, 'This is not the standard, this is junior varsity, not varsity.' He's like, 'I'm not gonna lie, Pressley, you're making me want to go shop right now.' That starts the whole week. He's not saying it in a bad way. He's just straight up. He's gonna tell you what's gonna happen. What they're talking about upstairs, he's letting you know."

It isn't difficult to imagine Tomlin saying that to a player, and with the influence and respect that Tomlin garners throughout the league when he speaks, the players listen. While Sternberger may not be a part of the Steelers anymore, these stories allow us to see a bit more behind the curtain into what goes on within the organization.

Steelers Need Harvin In 2023

Harvin made it through his rookie season despite the threat of shopping from Tomlin, but that doesn't mean everything was sailing smoothly from that point on. In 2023, with the offense struggling as it has, Harvin has been under a microscope like he hasn't been in the past, and it has led to some moments of growth and character from the young man.

After Pittsburgh's 2023 Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Tomlin directly stated that the punting was not up to the level he expects, which Harvin was sure to have heard directly from his coach. If Tomlin says it to the media, you can be sure that the version his players get will not be tidy and neat like his press answers tend to be. 

Before the 2023 regular season began, Harvin wasn't a shoo-in to continue as the Steelers punter due to a position battle between him and Braden Mann. While Harvin ended up winning out, it wasn't in emphatic fashion, and it has left a feeling that the punter position was more up in the air than anyone was comfortable with.

As 2023 continues, the Steelers need more from their offense, but the trend doesn't seem to be heading that way, so that the pressure will fall squarely onto the defense and special teams. It's a fine line to walk, but when three-and-outs make up the majority of your offensive game plan, having a superb punter who can trap opposing teams at their goal line is priceless. 

Harvin knows what is expected of him, as Sternberger said he has known since his rookie year, but it's one thing to be aware of expectations and another entirely to live up to them. With plenty of football left to be played in the 2023 season, Harvin will have more than enough time to decide what kind of punter he wants to be.

Will Harvin be the Steelers punter in 2024? 

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