The Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to finish with a losing record under Mike Tomlin. While it’s a stat that gets talked about too much and doesn’t mean much when the Steelers aren’t winning in the playoffs, the team is at least always competitive. Given that, Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler believes that Tomlin is Pittsburgh’s reason for hope in 2024.
“As long as head coach Mike Tomlin is calling the shots, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ floor is a shot at an AFC wild-card spot. The Steelers still have yet to finish with a losing record under Tomlin, who is heading into his 18th season at the helm,” Fowler writes. “Tomlin’s ability to add talent, game-plan and execute over the last decade-and-a-half has been matched by only a few coaches in the history of football, regardless of level. While each year presents its fair share of unique challenges—2024 will undoubtedly be the same—Tomlin’s fundamental ability to coach often goes overlooked.”
Fowler added that figuring out the quarterback situation between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will be one of Tomlin’s toughest tests. There’s no doubt that Tomlin is a good coach, among the best in football, but the last handful of seasons just haven’t been good enough given the lack of postseason success.
It’s obviously not something Tomlin takes lightly, and the Steelers need to start winning in the playoffs. But it’s not entirely on him, as he’s had flawed rosters and, more recently, subpar quarterback play. While Pittsburgh’s roster right now isn’t filled with talent across the board, with needs at receiver and slot corner standing out, it still upgraded at quarterback, added an All-Pro linebacker in Patrick Queen and improved its offensive line through the draft.
It’s a roster that should be more talented than in the past, and with Russell Wilson under center, the Steelers have a quarterback who has a history of winning and could return to being a good starter in Arthur Smith’s offense. Couple the improved roster with Tomlin’s ability to squeeze out wins, and it’s understandable why he could be the team’s biggest hope.
If things go south, like they did last year during the team’s three-game losing streak, Tomlin could potentially right the ship and steal some games the Steelers might not have much business winning. But ideally, Tomlin and the Steelers don’t have to climb out of a self-inflicted hole this season and the team can just win the games it needs to and look to make some noise in the playoffs.
That hasn’t happened nearly enough. With the improved roster, hopefully, this season will be smoother sailing than most and Tomlin can look to elevate the talent and get the most out of this group and finally have some playoff success.
