All is not well with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, which has frustrated fans. That’s led to people questioning if the Steelers should continue to employ Mike Tomlin. Barring a major turn of events, it seems certain that Tomlin will be with the Steelers in 2025. However, former NFL offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles believes Tomlin should be the Steelers’ head coach until he doesn’t want to be.
“There is zero conversation to be had,” Sirles said recently on his podcast, The O-Line Committee. “Mike Tomlin should be able to walk away from that job whenever he wants. It’s yours until you hit the retirement button if I’m the Steelers’ owner.
“‘You have earned that right from me. Unless that thing goes off the rails and we start winning two or three games a year, this is your job until you tell me you’re done.’ That is the worst conversation to have in the NFL right now is to replace Mike Tomlin.”
Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the NFL, but giving him that kind of job security might be a little much. It’s debatable if the Steelers should fire him if they continue to make the playoffs. However, Tomlin should face scrutiny if they stagnate around mediocrity for too long without making the postseason.
Even now, when he’s never had a losing season, there’s a serious conversation to be had about the Steelers moving on from Tomlin. That isn’t a crazy idea. There’s merit behind it. Not all of the Steelers’ problems are Tomlin’s fault, but he’s not without flaws.
Look at the way the Steelers collapsed to end this season. They were 10-3, and then they lost five straight games. That doesn’t happen for no reason. It’s not the first time the Steelers have fallen apart down the stretch recently. It’s becoming a trend under Tomlin.
The Steelers would likely have a tough time replacing Tomlin, but they’ll never know if they don’t try. They transitioned from Bill Cowher to Tomlin pretty seamlessly and from Chuck Noll to Cowher before that.
Based on the talk around Tomlin, it sounds like Sirles’ idea is shared by the Steelers’ owners. Despite his lack of playoff success, it doesn’t feel like Tomlin’s seat is getting any hotter. He has strong job security. If he continues to take the Steelers to the playoffs, it’s questionable if Tomlin would ever get fired. Whether fans like it or not, it feels like Tomlin is here to stay.
