Despite questions about Mike Tomlin’s future for the first time during his 17-year tenure, he remains the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. He’ll be the coach in 2024 and almost certainly beyond that. It’s clear that team President Art Rooney II still believes in Tomlin, something he confirmed Monday afternoon while speaking to reporters.
In his annual year-end meeting with reporters, Rooney explained why he stands by Tomlin.
“The players still respond to Mike, and that’s number one,” he said via Steelers.com’s Bob Labriola. “He can keep the attention of 20-year-olds for a whole season and keep them in the fight the whole way. If I didn’t feel Mike could lead us to a championship, he wouldn’t be here.”
In the full interview aired by 93.7 The Fan, here’s Rooney’s complete response.
“I think the players still respond to Mike and that’s number one. He still has the key characteristics that we saw when we hired him. He can keep the attention of a group of 20 year olds for a whole season and and keep them in the fight the whole way. Still feel good about Mike. Obviously if I didn’t, we’d make a change. If we didn’t think Mike was able to lead us to a championship, he wouldn’t be here. And that’s why he is here.”
Though firing Tomlin never felt probable at any point during the season, it became a national media talking point after the Steelers bottomed out to 7-7 following a three-game skid in December. But as he often does, Tomlin rallied the team after turning to QB Mason Rudolph. The Steelers won their last three to make the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, beating Baltimore on a Saturday and getting the necessary help on Sunday.
But Pittsburgh’s season ended in familiar fashion. one-and-done in the playoffs, this time in the AFC Wild Card Round. Falling to the Buffalo Bills 31-17, the Steelers yet again dug themselves a hole they couldn’t climb out of. Down 21-0 late in the first half, Pittsburgh rallied to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter, 24-17, but the Bills shut the door with a late touchdown.
The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in seven years and have dropped their last five postseason games, tied for the second-longest active playoff losing streak in the league. Pittsburgh’s proven to be good enough to make the playoffs almost regardless of circumstance but hasn’t gotten over the hump of winning a playoff game, let alone competing to win a Super Bowl.
Based on Rooney’s comments, the Steelers’ three-game winning streak to close out the year was critical. After that losing streak, Pittsburgh faced key questions about its culture and locker room. But Tomlin didn’t lose the group, banding the players together for a stretch run.
Still, the fact that the Steelers are capable of making the playoffs isn’t good enough. It’s not their standard and even Rooney seems frustrated by the same song and dance. Tomlin is likely to receive a contract extension, if for nothing else but to avoid dreaded “lame duck” status and help bring in coaches and free agents, but he needs to produce more than he has over these next two or three years. Or Rooney could have a different take the next time around.
