The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently in the midst of their worst rut in the Mike Tomlin era, losing three straight games to all but sink their playoff hopes with the team barely hanging on at 7-7. That’s led to talk about whether this could be Tomlin’s last season in Pittsburgh. On ESPN’s Get Up this morning, former NFL head coach Rex Ryan said he thinks Tomlin is the coach to turn the Steelers around, but if he was to get fired, he would “break the bank” as a free agent.
“Absolutely ridiculous. He’s clearly the leader that can get this team back. But I will say this. If they wanna fire Mike Tomlin, that’s the greatest thing you’ve ever done for him. Because as a free agent, Mike Tomlin would absolutely break the bank,” Ryan said.
Tomlin’s regarded around the league as one of the best coaches in football, and he’s someone who would be highly sought after if he hit the market and wanted to coach next season. But the fact of the matter is that Pittsburgh likely wouldn’t outright fire Tomlin, and instead could look to trade him. Jay Glazer, one of Tomlin’s closest friends in the media, floated a potential trade to the Washington Commanders, and if Tomlin coaches elsewhere next season, a trade is the more likely outcome.
Tomlin might be the coach to turn this team around, but while he’s had struggles in the past, this has been the most trying time in his Steelers tenure. Pittsburgh lost to back-to-back 2-10 teams in the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots. It came out flat against New England and then blew a 13-0 lead in Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts. It’s fair to question whether the Steelers are the right team for Tomlin right now.
I don’t think the Steelers will move on. It’s a question that seemed unfathomable just three weeks ago, but the way the last few games have gone down have made it a legitimate question. It’s just not a move that the Steelers make though, and I think Tomlin is at least going to get another year to turn things around.
He could make more money elsewhere, and he might even have more success elsewhere. But the Steelers just have to decide whether riding with Tomlin for another season is in their best interests right now. The Steelers aren’t supposed to be a rebuilding team. They drafted their supposed quarterback of the future in Kenny Pickett in 2022, but he hasn’t looked the part so far. They’ve invested in the offensive line and on defense, and yet the Steelers are going to miss the playoffs for the second straight season.
Sometimes, change can be good. The Steelers will decide whether they want to risk making one this offseason.
