Buy Or Sell: The Steelers will not reach another Super Bowl with Mike Tomlin.
Explanation: Note first that this is about the Steelers reaching a Super Bowl with Mike Tomlin, not winning one. Twice as many teams reach the Super Bowl as win, and Tomlin does have two appearances. But the Steelers’ last appearance was in 2010, and life was very different back then. It’s been a while, and it may be a while before their next one.
Buy:
Franchise quarterbacks win Super Bowls. The Steelers don’t have one, and Mike Tomlin has shown nothing that indicates he can identify one. Sure, he can sign a former Super Bowl winner, but that doesn’t do any good in the present. Even if we grant that Tomlin is a good coach for doing more with weaker rosters, he puts the rosters together.
At some point, somebody is going to run out of steam along the way. Yes, the Steelers have put up with eight straight seasons of Mike Tomlin not winning in the playoffs. But even the Steelers are not the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals gave Marvin Lewis 16 years and he never won a single playoff game. Tomlin has a trophy, at least, and regularly makes the playoffs. But how much further can they push it beyond 10 years with no playoff win?
Sell:
A lot can happen in a long span of time—indeed, a lot can happen in a short amount of time. The Steelers are likely to bolster their trenches this offseason, and Mike Tomlin could find a franchise quarterback in 2026. They are at the point of bold gestures, so maybe they trade their next two drafts for Arch Manning. Who knows.
The point is that it’s too early to make any kind of declaration. Especially since Mike Tomlin and the Steelers show no indication of terminating their relationship any time soon. Tomlin could be in Pittsburgh for another decade or two for all we know. Contrary to what some might believe, he seems to genuinely love this. And let’s not forget he is well-compensated for his services. If the Washington Commanders can make a conference final, anything is possible.
With the Steelers’ 2024 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2025 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2025, and they need everyone healthy to do it. They needed a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
