Now that he’s no longer the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ head coach, Mike Tomlin is willing to look back on his 19-year tenure. He’s even willing to enter a longstanding debate among fans and defend himself from those who have been frustrated over the last decade.
After starting out his time in Pittsburgh with a Super Bowl championship in just his second year n and then another AFC crown two years later, Tomlin was unable to find much postseason success, even though he kept having winning seasons, in the back half of his almost two-decade long reign. He finished with an 8-12 playoff record despite winning at a .628% clip during the regular season.
Some Steelers Fans Felt Enduring a Losing Season Would’ve Been Best for Mike Tomlin
The playoff win drought – the last postseason victory for Pittsburgh came in January of 2027 – caused many Steelers fans to grow bored of Tomlin and feel a change was needed, even if meant taking a step back as a franchise. Because many fans even wanted to take a step back if that decline would lead to finding the next great Steelers quarterback, something that’s been an issue in Pittsburgh since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season.
But taking a step back is just not in Tomlin’s DNA. That’s basically what he said when asked directly about fans wanting his team to endure a losing season – the Steelers never had a losing season under Tomlin – in order to earn a high draft pick and be able to select one of the top prospects in that given year.
It’s Not in Tomlin’s DNA to Ever Consider Tanking for a High Draft Pick
“I don’t want to do what’s required to have the number one pick in the draft. You know what I mean?,” responded Tomlin during an appearance on the “Pro Football Focus” show.
“Like, that’s not on my menu. My menu is to take the material given, and pursue a task. Every year of my life without the big boy [Roethlisberger], I missed him. But I realized I maybe had an opportunity to have a stronger team in other areas,” he added.
Tomlin then went even further, driving home his point even more.
“But hell no. I didn’t want to get my face kicked in to get a top pick. Like, I wanna win the division. I want to host a home playoff game. I just refuse to accept anything less than that.”
Tomlin Still Has a Hall of Fame Worthy Resume
And to Tomlin’s credit, there’s no guarantee tanking for any quarterback would work. Other teams have also found an elite quarterback by either trading up for one or developing a pick from a later round.
So while its’ fair to criticize Tomlin for a losing playoff record, especially since some of those losses coming during a period with Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell all leading the offense, to go finish with a winning record for 19-straight years is incredibly impressive as well. And no matter how anyone may view Tomlin’s time in Pittsburgh, his overall resume is on par with coaches already enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Mike Tomlin Enters Debate About if He Needed to Endure a Losing Season