Things are not pretty in the Steel City right now. The weather is gloomy. So too is the outlook for the beloved professional football franchise in the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final four weeks of the season.
Coming off two embarrassing losses at home to the 2-win Arizona Cardinals and the 2-win New England Patriots in a four-day span at Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers have seen their playoff odds in the AFC plummet, and the heat has been turned up rather dramatically on head coach Mike Tomlin.
For many, it’s time to make a change at the top and end the 17-year tenure of Tomlin since it feels like the standard is now 9-8, rather than winning division titles, playoff games and competing for Super Bowls.
That’s not the case at all, though, for Audacy NFL insider Jason La Canfora.
Appearing on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Monday with co-hosts Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson, La Canfora pushed back on the Steelers needing to make a change at head coach.
“The grass ain’t always greener, bro. Like, it’s just not. It’s not. And just look at all these franchises, like do a little study, look at every franchise in the league, right? And their coaching history since you guys hired Mike Tomlin, how many they’ve been through,” La Canfora said on 93.7 The Fan, according to audio from the show. “The best guy, what’s the best record of the best coach? Just cherry pick.
“Go through every franchise and find their best guy right of the last 15 years and compare his record to Mike Tomlin. And then let’s talk next week.”
The grass isn’t always greener, that much is true. The Steelers have been fortunate over the last 17 years — and throughout their franchise history in general — to have as much stability that they’ve had dating back to Chuck Noll. Sometimes, stability is great. Patience is needed. But in today’s NFL, you can’t find yourself in no-man’s land.
That’s where the Steelers find themselves, going .500 or 9-8 more often than not in the last decade. Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game in seven seasons. In fact, he’s won a playoff game in just four seasons out of 16, going on 17, in the NFL.
Stability is great and all, but results need to be there. Tomlin is a Hall of Fame head coach. That much is certain. He’s done a good job going through a period of transition following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger and former GM Kevin Colbert. But the last two losses and some of the comments coming out of the locker room recently from key players, like running back Najee Harris and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, are rather damning.
The Steelers are unlikely to make a change anytime soon. In fact, it’s more likely Tomlin gets an extension and another shot at figuring out the offensive coordinator situation. But his seat should be hot, and rightfully so. Much is demanded of him as the head coach of the Steelers, and right now he’s not exactly delivering.
