Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the second half at Acrisure Field.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the longest-tenured head coach of a team currently playing in the NFL. He has led the Steelers since 2007, and much of his tenure has been marked by numerous victories. Tomlin has a Super Bowl title, and his teams have never finished below .500.
However, the Steelers have been plagued by mediocrity in recent years. The veteran coach is now on the hot seat, and given that something may have to change for the Steelers, Tomlin could very well be fired at the end of the season.
Mike Tomlin’s time with the Steelers may be coming to an end
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) leave the field after a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Field.
Image by Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn
Tomlin is beloved by Steelers fans, but they also seem increasingly frustrated with the coach’s inability to take the team to the next level. He has long inspired a respectable culture, but lately Tomlin hasn’t been innovative enough to take the Steelers to the next level.
Pittsburgh is middling at 6-5. They haven’t advanced past the Wild Card round since 2017. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the team has fielded some underperforming quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers is arguably their best signal-caller in years, but he’s 41 years old, clearly not a long-term option, and he’s not the same player. Rodgers has just 1,969 passing yards this season.
The team was smart to add DK Metcalf in the offseason, but the trade ultimately failed to improve the roster as Pittsburgh reversed course and signed George Pickens. Pickens is currently second in the NFL in receiving yards with the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers’ running backs are average, and the offense is not what it once was.
The defense also can’t make up for the poor offense. T.J. Watt isn’t as dominant as he once was, and neither are older players like Jalen Ramsey and Cameron Heyward. This roster is past its prime, and changes are needed in the offseason. The same can be said of Tomlin.
Known as a special teams specialist, Pittsburgh’s special teams this year are not special. Fans are also growing tired of the coach’s tendency to meander in post-game interviews, as well as the Steelers’ inability to beat playoff contenders. Now, it looks like the Steelers may miss the playoffs once again, despite playing in one of the worst divisions in football.
The Steelers are in dire need of a fresh start, and firing Tomlin may be what it takes to do so. He’s a team legend and one of the best coaches of the 21st century, if not the best in NFL history, but unless things change by the end of the 2025 season, the Steelers need to move on. Unfortunately, he doesn’t bring much to the table in 2025 in terms of playmaking or coaching philosophy.
