For much of the 2024 season, things looked quite promising for the Pittsburgh Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin. But then down the stretch, they crashed and burned in a major way.
Now, there are questions about the culture, Tomlin’s ability to lead, and more surrounding the Steelers entering the offseason.
The Steelers got off to a 4-2 with Justin Fields under center for the injured Russell Wilson, playing some of the smartest ball he’s played in his career. Fields took care of the football, was dangerous in the red zone, and really looked like a nice fit in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme.
In Week 7, the Steelers — particularly Tomlin — made the change from Fields to Russell Wilson. Initially, that move looked quite smart as the Steelers saw their record improve to 10-3. But then, things fell apart in December, Wilson stopped playing well, and the Steelers couldn’t play complementary football.
That isn’t to say the collapse is on Wilson, but he was part of it. And now, with that five-game losing streak to end the season and yet another one-and-done trip to the playoffs, the concerns and questions about Tomlin and his ability to lead the team, especially after the Steelers looked flat and uninterested down the stretch, are starting to become a bit justified.
At least, that’s how former NFL linebacker and current media member LaVar Arrington sees things. Appearing on the Two Pros And A Cup Of Joe radio show on FOX Sports, Arrington stated that after not wanting to justify the Tomlin criticism in recent years, it’s hard not to now after the collapse.
“This season justifying all of the critics of Mike Tomlin. I’ve heard this whole undercurrent of how people from internal positions that may not be or may be still associated with the organization, or not associated with the organization, talking about how the culture of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been lost,” Arrington said, according to audio via the show’s YouTube page. “And it’s not something that I’ve ever wanted to believe because I feel like what I see in Mike Tomlin, it’s certainly a man who embraces what the city still represents.”
Dating back to the last time the Steelers won a playoff game in 2016, there have been questions and concerns about Tomlin and the culture he’s setting in Pittsburgh. He’s viewed as a leader of men, one that who a strong locker room and helps build up leaders.
Guys like Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick all fit into that. But over the years, the Steelers haven’t found that leadership on the offensive side of the football and have struggled to keep diva-like wide receivers like Chase Claypool and George Pickens focused and in line.
Some with platforms are calling into question the Steelers’ effort level and preparation too, which is all noise that shouldn’t be surrounding a franchise like the Steelers, especially under a head coach with the type of reputation that Tomlin has.
“I feel like there’s an escalation of smoke that is coming from Pittsburgh,” Arrington said. “I feel like there might have to be more discussion surrounding what is the future of the Pittsburgh Steelers because I don’t know that now some of the things that I’ve heard, like that culture of what the Pittsburgh Steelers represent, especially in the locker room and around the building, if it’s getting lost, if the message has been so diluted and eroded through the years, if that’s what it is.”
It’s a fair question and criticism from the former All-Pro linebacker. The noise surrounding the Steelers has gotten louder and louder in recent years. Something is not working, and it seems like it’s the same problems over and over again.
Maybe it’s the type of players they are targeting who aren’t fitting into the culture, or Tomlin’s message is just getting stale — something team captain Cameron Heyward disputed after the Wild Card Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Whatever it is, uncomfortable conversations need to be had because things aren’t working in Pittsburgh, and it’s happening over and over again.
