First Call: Rich Eisen leads national cheers for Mike Tomlin's extension; Browns' Nick Chubb may return for Steelers games

In Tuesday’s “First Call,” Mike Tomlin’s contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers is getting a predictable amount of praise from national media circles.

An injured Cleveland Browns star may make a return in time to face the Steelers just before Thanksgiving. An ex-Penguin is lighting up the Stanley Cup Final.

We also preview the Pirates-Cardinals series with Paul Skenes on the mound in Game 1.

Right on schedule

As expected, the NFL’s national football media types are trumpeting their support of the Steelers’ decision to extend the contract of head coach Mike Tomlin through 2027.

That’s despite a failure to win a playoff game in the past seven seasons and in 11 of the past 13.

Silly little facts like those won’t stop the likes of the NFL Network’s Rich Eisen from basking in the glow of the Steelers extending Tomlin’s seven-year run of mediocrity, though.

“If Mike Tomlin didn’t get this three-year contract extension, he would be somebody else’s coach within five minutes,” Eisen said on his Roku Channel show Monday afternoon. “I’m telling you. He is one of the best in the business.”

Eisen wasn’t done pumping the well of pro-Tomlin excuse-making tropes.

“Who would you prefer to have?” Eisen continued. “You want to go get that hot coordinator? Is that what you want to do? Or (Bill) Belichick? Do you think Belichick and the Steelers, that’s a marriage?”

Eisen sure was playing the hits. He immediately recycled two of the three big ones. Like playing “Stairway to Heaven” and “Free Bird” back to back:

• “If you let Tomlin walk, who else are you going to hire?” (Completely ignoring the fact that Tomlin, Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll were all previously little-known assistants getting their first head coaching jobs with the Steelers.)

• “If you don’t extend Tomlin, he’ll get another job in five minutes!” (Which, of course, doesn’t mean that he is still the right coach here.)

All Eisen needed to complete the “National Media Mike Tomlin Defense Foundation” natural hat trick was:

• “The (fill in the blank bad team: Panthers, Jets, Commanders, Raiders, etc.) would kill to have a coach like Tomlin!” (Right. Because a team that has the phrase “the standard is the standard” literally bolted into the wall of its building wants that standard to be … the New York Jets?)

In a way, I’m disappointed a Tomlin sycophant like Eisen couldn’t cram all three into one monologue.

That’s OK. I’m sure Mike Greenberg will get it done Tuesday on ESPN’s “Get Up!”

Lord knows he’ll make the Jets reference, at least.

More sports

• Tomlin extension gets lukewarm reaction from Steelers Nation
• Steelers complete draft signings, ink 2nd-round WVU center Zach Frazier
• Mark Madden: Paul Skenes may be the Pirates' marquee attraction, but don't ditch Mitch

Triumphant return?

Nick Chubb suffered a significant knee injury last year against the Steelers. Now, the Browns’ running back is projected by at least one Cleveland analyst to make his 2024 return against the Steelers in Week 12.

Or at least close to that game.

Longtime Browns reporter Tony Grossi made that prediction on ESPN Radio 850.

“That doesn’t mean we may (not) see him sooner,” Grossi said. “Possibly not the Sunday before that because (of) two games in five days. But then again, the bye week before that, right? This would be a good target date to get Chubb in there. And if it happens way before that, before the bye week even, all the better.”

Fact or Fiction: Nick Chubb will be the starting RB week 12 at home against the Steelers on TNF?

"I'm gonna say fact but that doesn't mean we may see him earlier," - @TonyGrossi. pic.twitter.com/pIp7jStz73

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 10, 2024

That’s a Thursday night contest between the teams in Cleveland on Nov. 21. The Browns then turn around and come to Pittsburgh two weeks later.

After a hit from Minkah Fitzpatrick on “Monday Night Football” in Pittsburgh last year, Chubb needed two surgeries. The first was for a torn MCL and damaged meniscus. The second was for a torn ACL.

Carolina cat?

Hakeem Butler had a shot with the Steelers last year in the preseason after a stint with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL.

Now, he’s getting another crack with an NFL team.

Butler, who went back to St. Louis and went on to be the UFL’s Offensive Player of the Year this season is getting a workout with the Carolina Panthers. That’s according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

The #Panthers are expected to work out UFL Offensive Player of the Year Hakeem Butler before summer break, source says.

The All-XFL pick had 45 catches for a league-best 652 receiving yards and 5 TDs for the St. Louis Battlehawks this season. A potential intriguing addition. pic.twitter.com/huo9elhP3s

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 10, 2024

Butler posted 45 receptions for 652 yards and five touchdowns in the UFL. After opening eyes last May in Pittsburgh, Butler was released on Aug. 25. He was on the Panthers’ practice squad once before in 2020.

He was selected out of Iowa State as a fourth-round pick of the Cardinals in 2019, but he ended up missing his entire rookie season with a broken hand and never played for Arizona.

From there, he went to Carolina and eventually saw minimal game action with Philadelphia in 2020.

E-Rod an A-plus

Former Pittsburgh Penguin Evan Rodrigues is playing a starring role in the Stanley Cup Finals. He scored a goal en route to a 3-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers for the Florida Panthers in Game 1 on Saturday.

Then, on Monday, Rodrigues scored twice as the Panthers won again 4-1 to take a 2-0 series lead up to Canada.

E-ROD SIMPLY MAKING IT HAPPEN pic.twitter.com/wY49PfxKoc

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 11, 2024

THERE GOES THAT MAN pic.twitter.com/WXUXf9RKxk

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 11, 2024

Rodrigues now has six postseason goals this year. He had four in 16 previous playoff games with the Penguins and Colorado Avalanche.

Niko Mikkola and Aaron Ekblad scored the other two goals for Florida. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 18 of 19 shots for the win.

Mattias Ekholm scored halfway through the first period to give Edmonton a 1-0 lead. It was tied 1-1 heading into the third period. That is when Rodrigues and Florida took over. The teams play Game 3 in Alberta on Thursday.

Parity=parody

When the Pirates (31-34) take the field against the St. Louis Cardinals (31-33) Tuesday, both teams will do so as part of what has become a jumbled mess in the National League Central. Milwaukee (39-27) leads that division by 7 games over the Cardinals, Reds and Cubs.

Then it’s the Pirates in last place at 7.5 games back. The Giants, Reds, Cardinals and Cubs are all in a virtual tie for the third and final wild card spot in the National League, with the Pirates just a half game back.

The Cards just got done splitting a four-game home series against Colorado and dropping two of three to the Houston Astros on the road. They have a minus-40 run differential, worst in the NL Central and third worst in the NL.

The series opens Tuesday with Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes (3-0, 3.00 ERA) against Miles Mikolas (4-6, 5.32 ERA).

This is the first meeting between the clubs this year. The Pirates went 9-4 vs. St. Louis in 2023.

Listen: Tim Benz and Brian Metzer host their weekly Altered Genius Brewing/Barber School of Pittsburgh hockey podcast