If there has been one media member willing to consistent defend Mike Tomlin, it’s Rich Eisen. A strong supporter through and through, even during the Steelers’ 2023 miserable three-game losing streak, Eisen has always considered Tomlin a leader of men and the right man for the job. While Eisen remains confident Tomlin can still lead, he thinks the Steelers might not be the right team to follow.
For the first time, Eisen entertained the idea of Tomlin and the Steelers parting ways.
“I’m wondering if Tomlin’s wondering if he can have his Andy Reid moment here,” Eisen said during his show Monday. “And if the Steelers are wondering the same thing as the Eagles did that at that time, too. Because what happened again this year might just lead to both sides saying it’s time. And I’m thinking the same thing for the first time.”
Eisen’s referring to what happened with Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles. Hired as their head coach in 1999, he brought the team plenty of success and to a Super Bowl, winning at least 11 games in five of his first six seasons. But he couldn’t get over the hump of winning a Lombardi and by the end of his tenure, struggled to win playoff games or flat-out win period. Philadelphia was one-and-done in 2009 and 2010 before bottoming out to 4-12 in 2012.
The Eagles moved on from Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs promptly scooped him up. He’s since cemented a Hall of Fame career with three Super Bowl rings and a chance for a fourth this season. The Eagles, after some tribulations, found success with Nick Sirianni and are also competing for a title.
Essentially, Eisen’s message is that Tomlin can still coach, but a fresh start might be the best thing for both sides.
“I’m coming around to it that it’s time for Mike Tomlin to move on and find his Andy Reid spot,” he said. “And then the Steelers find their Sirianni.”
If Tomlin became available, he’d have no shortage of suitors and would be out of work for minutes. Immediately, he’d be perhaps the most-courted head coach in NFL history. Similarly, the Steelers would be considered a most attractive landing spot. Despite their lack of playoff success, the organizational belief in stability and job security would be enticing to coaches who often have trouble finding it.
Eisen offered a similar stat to what we shared this morning, Tomlin’s playoff record putting him in the bottom tier of experienced coaches.
“In the playoffs he’s joined Chuck Knox and Marty Schottenheimer, the only coaches with more than 10 playoff losses and fewer than 10 playoff wins,” Eisen said. “And another falling off of the cliff this year. They lost their last five in a row.”
Even with Eisen coming around to the idea of Tomlin coaching elsewhere, the only vote whose matters belongs to Art Rooney II. He’s offered zero indication of moving on from Tomlin, whom he gave a lucrative contract extension to last offseason. Unless Tomlin forces his way out, something just as improbable, he’ll stay in Pittsburgh in 2025 and try to break the NFL’s longest playoff losing streak.
