The Pittsburgh Steelers are still regarded as one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. It’s for good reason. The Steelers have six Super Bowl wins, and if it weren’t for Tom Brady dominating the AFC for two decades, they’d lead the NFL in that race. They won four under Chuck Noll, one under Bill Cowher, and one with Mike Tomlin.
That’s well-known information about the franchise’s past success. However, the key word there is ‘past’. While the Steelers have certainly remained competitive over the years and have made the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, they haven’t accomplished much once they get there.
You’d be living under a rock if you hadn’t heard the rumblings regarding those playoff letdowns. The team was successful in the postseason early in Mike Tomlin’s tenure as the head coach. Now, that’s far from the case. After the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills last year, the team’s owner, Art Rooney II, said the franchise goal for the 2024 season would be to win a playoff game.
Former NFL GM Doug Whaley appeared on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday. He thinks those playoff struggles are wearing on Tomlin.
“There’s a Tomlinism that hasn’t been spoken a lot, especially this year I haven’t heard it,” Whaley said. “‘The standard is the standard.’ The owner has said that this year’s goal is to win a playoff game, and that’s not the normal standard. So he’s [Mike Tomlin] saying that even his boss [Art Rooney] is lowering the standard for him.”
It’s an interesting point from Whaley. It’s important to note that Whaley is suggesting Tomlin thinks the standard is dropping. Whaley isn’t necessarily saying that himself. Still, the Steelers ‘standard’ has been Super Bowl or bust with how successful the team’s been in the past. Reducing that goal to just a playoff win would be an example of the ‘standard’ lowering.
Whaley also spoke about how Mike Tomlin may feel about his legacy in Pittsburgh in the future.
“He’s [Mike Tomlin] such a true Pittsburgh Steeler and a historian,” Whaley said. “He understands the standard has dipped under his watch. If he does not win a playoff game this year, that stench is going to be on him until next year, until he does. If he doesn’t, he will think that his tenure, albeit very successfully, didn’t live up to the Steeler standard.”
There are many different ways to feel about Mike Tomlin. Many Steelers fans agree with Whaley here and think Tomlin lowered the standard. The argument can also be made that Tomlin is doing more with less and shouldn’t be expected to bring a team that isn’t considered a true contender to the Super Bowl.
Regardless, if the Steelers lose to the Ravens on Saturday, that pressure will only build.
