A big question looms over the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the 2023 season. Can Head Coach Mike Tomlin lead this team back to being a real contender for a championship and another Lombardi Trophy? Tomlin is headed into his 17th season with the team. By all accounts, he has established himself as one of the best coaches in the NFL. He has amassed a career record of 163-93-2 and .636 winning percentage. Early in his tenure, he led the team to a Super Bowl in 2008 and a Super Bowl appearance in 2010. He is potentially earning himself a trip to the Hall of Fame in the future.
Recently however, the Steelers have found themselves on the outside looking in as far as serious contenders in the AFC. They have missed the playoffs three of the last five years and haven’t had a playoff win since they beat the Chiefs in January 2017. For a franchise that sets the standard of “Lombardi or bust,” recent performance simply has been “below the line.”
Tomlin has had some excuses to fall back on in recent history. An aging quarterback clearly nearing the end of his career; key injuries in different years; transitioning to a new QB last year; Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell going off the rails.
But there is a collective frustration growing among the passionate Steelers Nation fan base. A fan base some would call spoiled because of the consistency that the Steelers have been considered contenders over the years. These fans expect Pittsburgh to be in the mix come playoff time. And now Pittsburgh appears to have its next franchise QB in Kenny Pickett, and it invested heavily in the offensive line to protect him and establish a bullying run game.
The Steelers have surrounded Pickett with a bunch of weapons that, if used properly, should give him plenty of firepower. They have added to an already stout, defense with a mix of veterans and draft picks. Steelers fans believe this team is built to win and contend now.
So, the question remains, if the Steelers fail to make the playoffs again this year or worse, have their first losing season under Tomlin, should the veteran coach start to feel some heat from the organization? Especially if the offense sputters once again under the direction of Matt Canada? There was widespread sentiment for Canada be fired after last season, yet Tomlin brought him back for another season. If the offense is a dud, the blame will not fall on Canada. It will fall squarely on the shoulders of Tomlin for hanging on to a coordinator who has shown very little reason for confidence.
Regardless of the outcome of the 2023 season, Tomlin will likely be under little to no fire from Art Rooney II and the Steelers organization. They believe in Tomlin and value consistency and continuity. But should the front office be growing a little more concerned about their coach? This season will be very revealing about where Tomlin and the team are heading. Another season of missing the playoffs or worse should absolutely be cause for concern and consternation from the brass and the fan base.
The standard is the standard around here, and the standard is adding to the Lombardi count. Can Mike T. lead this team back to the promised land or should Steelers Nation truly start wondering if their beloved team should be thinking about the “next man up” as their head coach? This season will go a long way toward answering that question.
