Steelers' Mike Tomlin Revealed That Kirk Cousins Had A Massive Role In Building Pittsburgh's Most Dangerous Teams

The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently a team that is built on its defense, and that is the unit that is relied upon to lead the group to most of its wins. The team is more balanced than it has been in years past, but the defense is still the focus of the team. That is a commonality throughout the history of the franchise, and it was a big reason that the organization was able to win four Super Bowls during the 1970s, and then two more during the 2000s. The Steelers were offensive-focused during the 2010s, but the team never reached the same highs.

The Steelers during the 2010s were built around the Killer Bs. That was the offensive trio of Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, Antonio Brown at wide receiver, and Le'Veon Bell at running back. It also occasionally included Martavis Bryant and Chris Boswell. Bell's time in Pittsburgh was complicated. He was one of the best running backs in the league, but he ruined his reputation with the fandom when he refused to play on the franchise tag and then missed the entire 2018 season. That time was rough, but Bell was a joy to watch across his rookie deal, and he was one of the best running backs in the NFL almost immediately after entering the NFL.

Pittsburgh selected Bell in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and he recorded over 850 yards rushing and nearly 400 yards receiving during his rookie year. His best season was probably his second year with the team in 2014. He ran for over 1,350 yards and had 854 receiving yards to go along with 11 total touchdowns. Former head coach Mike Tomlin joined Cam Heyward on Not Just Football on Tuesday, and he shared how he and his staff found Bell.

"I used to get into town the night before Pro Days," Tomlin said. "You know, and I just spend time with people, people I have relationships with or whatever, and I'm always not only working the guys that I'm there to work, but I'm also trying to meet people that might be attractive to me in the future. I never forget man, I go to East Lansing man, for Kirk Cousins' Pro Day. I left there because I fell in love with a sophomore running back named Le'Veon Bell."

Tomlin and his staff were initially at Michigan State to scout quarterback Kirk Cousins, but that is what put Bell on the team's radar. A year later he was the team's second-round pick. Bell was an important piece of the offense in Pittsburgh, but he is not looked at fondly by the entire fan base.

Cousins was in the 2012 draft class, while Bell was drafted in 2013. Tomlin got in on Bell ahead of time, and thankfully that happened because the running back was a big piece of the offense for the Steelers throughout the 2010s.

It is also interesting to picture a world where Cousins would have been Roethlisberger's backup for a period of time. He was not a highly touted quarterback coming out of college, and the only reason he really got a chance was because of the injuries that occurred to Robert Griffin III, who was a part of the same draft class as Cousins.

Steelers Have Gone Back To Kirk Cousins

With the Steelers' quarterback situation being up in the air nearly every offseason, Cousins is always a name that is floating around as a potential player that could be brought in. That was at least the case with Tomlin running the show, and that makes sense now as Tomlin and his staff were initially interested in him back when he was entering the league in 2012.

What do you think about this story from Tomlin on becoming aware of Bell? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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