Steelers' Mike Tomlin prefers traditional OT rules over any potential changes: 'I don't fear sudden death'

Pittsburgh's coach is likely in the minority when it comes to his overtime preference

The NFL overtime rules are possibly the biggest topic the NFL Competition Committee will discuss when they meet this week at the annual owners meetings. 

The Colts, Eagles and Titans each presented proposals for changes to the modern overtime format; Indianapolis and Philadelphia's proposals would give both teams the chance to possess the ball in overtime, while Tennessee's proposal would give both teams a chance at a possession unless the team that has the ball first scores a touchdown as well as a two-point conversion. 

While new rules will likely be voted on this week, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin would prefer if overtime went back to its original format, when whoever scored first won the game. 

"To be quite honest with you, I'm a sudden death advocate. I'm a traditionalist," Tomlin said, via Steelers.com's Teresa Varley. "I don't fear sudden death and I never have, but obviously I lost that battle a decade ago. But my position remains unchanged. I am one of the few sudden death advocates I would imagine.

"I just think 60 minutes everybody has had a fair opportunity to win the game. When you're talking about changes as it pertains to competitive fairness, I speak to the first 60 minutes that we all had. So, win the game. I don't fear sudden death."

Along with the fairness aspect, Tomlin said he prefers a sudden death overtime from a coach's perspective. 

"I'm a traditionalist. I don't want to have to stand in front of my team at the most significant moment in the game and explain to them how and why it's different, or to remind those guys of the rules," Tomlin said. "So, the more closely that we can remain to continual football, I'm going to be in alignment with that. When you start talking about rule changes and the way that the game is played structurally based on that time period, that's probably when I get quiet and move away from the discussion." 

The NFL's overtime policy was a major topic of conversation during the 2021 playoffs, especially after the Chiefs' overtime win over the Bills in the AFC divisional round. Many argued that the Bills' offense should have been given an opportunity to possess the ball after Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense scored a game-ending touchdown after winning the coin toss to start the extra session. 

The Chiefs were involved in both of the NFL's 2021 postseason overtime games. A week after defeating the Bills, an interception by Mahomes on the Chiefs' first possession of the AFC Championship Game led to Evan McPherson's game-winning field goal, sending the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI. 

The NFL implemented a sudden-death overtime format for any divisional tiebreak games in 1940. The league added sudden-death overtime to the postseason in 1946. The NFL's first-ever overtime period was played during the 1958 NFL Championship Game, with Johnny Unitas' Colts posting a 23-17 win over the Giants. 

It wasn't until 1974 when the league instituted sudden-death overtime for any regular-season game that was tied after 60 minutes. The overtime period changed from 15 to 10 minutes for regular-season games in 2017. In 2011, the NFL made a change to playoff overtime games that was implemented into the regular season in 2012. Those changes, which are still in effect today, give the team that starts overtime on defense a chance to possess the ball as long as they don't allow a touchdown on the game's opening drive. If both teams kick a field goal on their initial drives, overtime goes into sudden death. A touchdown immediately ends the game. 

While there is momentum towards a change to the current overtime format, Tomlin said he wasn't sure how the vote would play out when the Competition Committee votes on the matter this week. At least 24 teams would have to vote in favor of a proposal to pass. 

"I know we're headed for some significant discussions in that space," Tomlin said. "Do I know where we're going to land? I do not. I know that there's a desire to do something in an effort to make it more competitively fair for both teams involved, but I have no idea how it's going to land."

The USFL, which will begin play in April 16, has added its own spin on overtime games. USFL overtimes will feature a best-of-three scoring format where each offense will get the ball at the opponent's 2-yard-line. If the two teams are still tied after three attempts, overtime will go into sudden death.