Mike Tomlin

Bill Belichick is the highest paid coach in America. (Bill Greene / Globe Staff) By Steve Silva, Globe Staff Bill Belichick is in a league of his own when it comes to getting paid. But Doc Rivers isn't far behind. According to Forbes magazine, the three-time Super Bowl winning Patriots head coach makes more money than any other coach in America. Belichick's estimated salary of $7.5 million puts him at the top of the Forbes list. NFL coaches dominate the top 10, with eight representatives.

Bill Belichick is the highest paid coach in America. (Bill Greene / Globe Staff) By Steve Silva, Globe Staff Bill Belichick is in a league of his own when it comes to getting paid. But Doc Rivers isn't far behind. According to Forbes magazine, the three-time Super Bowl winning Patriots head coach makes more money than any other coach in America. Belichick's estimated salary of $7.5 million puts him at the top of the Forbes list. NFL coaches dominate the top 10, with eight representatives.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he might have made the same call as Bill Belichick if faced with a similar situation at the end of Sunday's game. Tomlin was asked about the kick during an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Adam Schein and Rich Gannon earlier today. Tomlin was asked if he was surprised by the call. "It didn't surprise me, quite frankly, at all," Tomlin said. "Coach Belichick is a guy who has the courage of his convictions and he doesn't necessarily care what other people think.

PITTSBURGH - Mike Tomlin wouldn't change a thing. Probably. The Pittsburgh Steelers coach said yesterday he'd defend Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow the same way if given another chance, even after Tebow burned the defending AFC champions for an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime to lift Denver to a stunning 29-23 victory. "Obviously they made some nice plays on us and in hindsight you would analyze it, but your options are limited in terms of how you attack them," Tomlin said.

PITTSBURGH - Mike Tomlin wouldn't change a thing. Probably. The Pittsburgh Steelers coach said yesterday he'd defend Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow the same way if given another chance, even after Tebow burned the defending AFC champions for an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime to lift Denver to a stunning 29-23 victory. "Obviously they made some nice plays on us and in hindsight you would analyze it, but your options are limited in terms of how you attack them," Tomlin said.

DENVER - Rarely has playing it safe paid off so well for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tyrone Carter started in place of safety Ryan Clark as a precaution last night and made the big play that sparked the Steelers to their fifth straight win, taking the first of his two interceptions 48 yards for a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 28-10 triumph over the Denver Broncos. Clark nearly died following a game in Denver two years ago because of a rare blood disorder that is aggravated by playing in high altitude, so Steelers coach Mike Tomlin decided to hold him out of the game.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has worked out without problems since missing Sunday night’s game in Baltimore with a concussion and is expected to play Sunday against Oakland. Roethlisberger was held out of the 20-17 overtime loss to the Ravens after having post-practice headaches Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. A team doctor recommended Saturday that the quarterback not play, and coach Mike Tomlin agreed. While the Steelers did not practice Monday, Roethlisberger worked out on his own and did not have any problems, Tomlin said.

The Steelers’ Mike Tomlin isn’t about to lobby another coach to play his best players, even if Pittsburgh’s season may be riding on any such decision. To Tomlin, the Steelers (8-7) put themselves in a position where they need a lot of assistance to make the AFC playoffs, so they shouldn’t go begging for help. “I could [not] care less how the Bengals approach what it is they do,’’ Tomlin said yesterday. To make the playoffs, the Steelers must defeat the Dolphins (7-8)

Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson was hospitalized on Friday after being severely burned during an early morning fire at his home in a Pittsburgh suburb. Authorities say the fire broke out around 3 a.m. in the kitchen of Wilson's home in Seven Fields, about 30 minutes north of the city. Flames were visible to firefighters when they arrived on the scene, according to Cranberry Township director of Public Safety Jeffrey Schueler. The 50-year-old Wilson, in his fifth season with the Steelers, was taken to a hospital before being airlifted to UPMC Mercy Hospital...

Charlie Batch doesn't know how many more games are left in his 37-year-old legs. Given the way the veteran quarterback played in the Steelers' ridiculously easy 27-0 victory over lifeless St. Louis on Saturday, it may be more than he thinks. The crowd chanting the name of Pittsburgh's native son throughout, Batch played efficiently if not spectacularly while subbing for an injured Ben Roethlisberger, passing for 208 yards to help the Steelers keep their hopes for an AFC North title very much alive.

James Farrior stood in front of the whiteboard at the entrance of the Steelers' locker room and grabbed a marker. Just in case some of his younger teammates don't understand what's at stake over the next month, the linebacker - who turns 37 today - decided it was time for his colorful annual reminder. "Don't [expletive] mess with my money," Farrior wrote, then outlined the bonus each player receives depending on how far his team goes in the playoffs, including the $88,000 that comes with getting to the Super Bowl.

Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson was hospitalized on Friday after being severely burned during an early morning fire at his home in a Pittsburgh suburb. Authorities say the fire broke out around 3 a.m. in the kitchen of Wilson's home in Seven Fields, about 30 minutes north of the city. Flames were visible to firefighters when they arrived on the scene, according to Cranberry Township director of Public Safety Jeffrey Schueler. The 50-year-old Wilson, in his fifth season with the Steelers, was taken to a hospital before being airlifted to...

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin believes injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and center Maurkice Pouncey both have "a shot" to play in Sunday's regular season finale at Cleveland. "It is our intention right now that if those guys are healthy enough to practice and prepare, then we will play them," Tomlin said Tuesday. Given the way backups Charlie Batch and Trai Essex handled themselves in a 27-0 win over St. Louis last Saturday, the Steelers (11-4) may not need Roethlisberger or Pouncey to hurry back from their badly sprained left...

The choice is never really much of a choice for Ben Roethlisberger. Given the option to play or rest his badly sprained left ankle today against the struggling Rams, the Steelers quarterback would rather take the field regardless of the pain or the risk. "I'm in the here and now," Roethlisberger said. "That's where we are coaches and players and a team. " Then again, Roethlisberger allowed, it's never his call. "That's a coach's decision, as always," he said.

Charlie Batch doesn't know how many more games are left in his 37-year-old legs. Given the way the veteran quarterback played in the Steelers' ridiculously easy 27-0 victory over lifeless St. Louis on Saturday, it may be more than he thinks. The crowd chanting the name of Pittsburgh's native son throughout, Batch played efficiently if not spectacularly while subbing for an injured Ben Roethlisberger, passing for 208 yards to help the Steelers keep their hopes for an AFC North title very much alive.

Even after he became a star with the Pittsburgh Steelers, James Harrison lugged around the equipment bag from his NFL Europe days with the Rhein Fire until it fell apart. The way the story gets told is that Harrison did it to remind himself how difficult the trip had been. In light of recent developments, it also suggests he has a hard time letting some things go. Take Harrison's most recent run-in with Commissioner Roger Goodell. It was the result of his fifth illegal hit on a quarterback over the last three seasons — a span in which he also...

The horn sounded to end practice Wednesday and as most of their Pittsburgh Steelers teammates trudged back to the locker room, running backs Isaac Redman, Mewelde Moore and Rashard Mendenhall jogged to an adjacent field. For the next 15 minutes the trio pushed each other in a series of sprints designed to test their endurance, a routine they did regularly during training camp but abandoned once the season started. After a pair of so-so weeks, they decided it was time to get back to basics.

Ben Roethlisberger's sprained left foot might be the least of the Steelers' problems. Coach Mike Tomlin expects his quarterback to play Sunday when the struggling defending AFC champions host the 3-1 Titans. The same can't be said for linebacker James Harrison , who needs surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone near his right eye and will be out "for a number of weeks," Tomlin said. Harrison sustained the injury in the third quarter of Pittsburgh's 17-10 loss to Houston last week when the forepad in his helmet came down and...

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he might have made the same call as Bill Belichick if faced with a similar situation at the end of Sunday's game. Tomlin was asked about the kick during an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Adam Schein and Rich Gannon earlier today. Tomlin was asked if he was surprised by the call. "It didn't surprise me, quite frankly, at all," Tomlin said. "Coach Belichick is a guy who has the courage of his convictions and he doesn't necessarily care what other people think.