After eight seasons without a playoff victory, including five straight one-and-done exits, the future of Mike Tomlin is a hot topic of conversation. While the Steelers aren’t going to move on from Tomlin this year, the idea that someone else might be better suited to lead the football team is still a topic worth exploring. On NFL Live on Monday, former Steelers S and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark likened Tomlin to a man who gives a woman everything she wants, yet she doesn’t feel “bliss.” He also questioned whether Tomlin is underperforming in the postseason or if he’s maximizing his talent early in the year.
“Is Mike Tomlin overachieving early on in the season, or is he underachieving in the playoffs? Is this team that always seems prepared in big games during the season, but has fallen behind by at least 14 in their last five playoff trips, are they not ready? Are they not maintaining the message from the meeting room to the football field?”
Clark said if the Steelers feel Mike Tomlin isn’t getting the players ready, then it’s worth having the conversation if someone else will be better. But he also added that it’s a risky move because the Steelers could wind up in a much worse situation.
“And if you feel like that, you have to have the conversation. Can we have a higher ceiling? But here is what you’re gonna have to deal with. We could also end up being the Jacksonville Jaguars. This team doesn’t know what it feels like to only win five games, to win six games, to be the Las Vegas Raiders this year. And I believe that’s a tough decision you have to make when Lombardi Trophies are the most important thing in your life.”
Pittsburgh hasn’t had a losing season since 2003, and since then, whether under Bill Cowher or Tomlin, they’ve always been a competitive team. But the lack of playoff success under Tomlin has grown stale, and that’s what led to the idea that the Steelers might be better off moving on. It would undoubtedly be a risk if it were a move the Steelers considered making for exactly the reasons Clark outlined. If the Steelers make the wrong hire, they could find themselves just being a bad football team instead of continually competing for the playoffs.
The flip side of that argument is that if Pittsburgh makes the right hire, they can become one of the best teams in the league again. They could compete for Super Bowls instead of being a team where fans know they can probably safely schedule a mid-January vacation after an early playoff exit. Mike Tomlin provides a high floor for the Steelers, but at this point, it’s worth questioning if their ceiling is capped.
You could also argue that Mike Tomlin is maximizing the talent the Steelers have to get them to the postseason. They haven’t really had good quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger retired outside of a few stretches this season. They’ve had a shaky run game, and their defensive talent fell flat down the stretch. A new head coach might not be able to win with Tomlin’s consistency, given the talent on the roster, and the Steelers need to assess how much of their issues are Tomlin’s problems or issues with their roster construction.
It’s a moot point for this offseason since Mike Tomlin will likely still be Pittsburgh’s head coach come kickoff in 2025, but it does outline some of the concerns Art Rooney II might have about moving on from Tomlin. There’s an inherent risk whenever you fire a head coach, but if Pittsburgh’s playoff futility continues another season, it might be a risk worth taking if it isn’t already.
