Art Rooney II confirmed Monday that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn’t going anywhere despite a postseason losing streak that dates back to 2016.
“When you look at how many games Mike has win in this league, you don’t win that many without being a good head coach,” Rooney told Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller on 93.7 The Fan. “We still feel good about him being a leader.”
Many fans have a different opinion of Mike Tomlin.
The Fan shared the entire interview with Rooney who offered this complete quote evaluating Tomlin.
“I think when you look at how many games Mike has won in this league, you don’t win that many games if you’re not a good coach,” he said via The Fan. “And I know he’s frustrated like we all are in terms of not being able to take that next step, but we still feel good about him being the leader and still think he has the strengths that he always had in terms of being able to lead a team.
“So, the other side of the coin is, when you look at the fact that we have 6, 7, 8 teams a year that turn their coaches over, it’s when you have a good coach, you just try to keep building with them.”
The Steelers started the season 10-3 but collapsed, losing their final five games of the season, including twice to the Baltimore Ravens by a combined 31 points.
The Steelers’ 28-14 Wild Card loss in Baltimore extended their postseason losing streak to six games, and Tomlin has increasingly come under scrutiny for the franchise’ playoff failures.
Even some national media members have wondered if maybe a new voice is needed in Pittsburgh after the Steelers completely fell apart in December in January. The Steelers were at one point in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. But QB Russell Wilson could not sustain his hot start after entering the starting lineup in Week 7, and he and the offense faltered down the stretch.
Meanwhile, the highest-paid defense in the NFL struggles with basic things such as communication during the five-game losing streak that doomed the Steelers to another first-round playoff exit.
But the Steelers never considered parting ways with Mike Tomlin, who is just 10 wins shy of the 193 games that Chuck Noll won with the Steelers from 1969-91.
They even reportedly rebuffed the Chicago after the Bears inquired about talking to Tomlin about the possibility of trading for him. Tomlin signed a three-year contract extension last June, and he said during his end-of-the-year press conference that he has no interest in coaching elsewhere.
The Steelers are still sifting through the wreckage of their 10-7 season. Their top priority is settling on a QB with both Wilson and Justin Fields pending free agents. Neither free agency nor the 2025 NFL offers many appealing or plausible options.
Tomlin, GM Omar Khan and the Steelers’ coaches and scouts are in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl.
