After the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Christmas Day loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the major topic of discussion was the finger pointing that was occurring around the Steelers locker room.
Head coach Mike Tomlin addressed said internal “bickering” on December 30, and his response didn’t do much to ease the minds of the more frustrated fans.
“You know, I didn’t do much about it, man,” Tomlin answered candidly ahead of Week 18. “They bicker because they care, and we weren’t playing well. And oftentimes the solution is born out of conflict and confrontation, particularly when you’re in the business that we’re in.”
“And so, we’re not gonna let an issue like that be a big issue,” the Steelers HC went on. “It’s really not. Guys expressing truth and working to seek solutions and sometimes emotions are involved in that. And so, most of the time when you get out of those circumstances, you’re able to move on as a collective, and I feel like we certainly have done that.”
Perhaps Tomlin is right to downplay this situation, nipping it in the bud behind the scenes, but his public statement didn’t go over very well either way.
“I’m glad he admits his players are right and he sucks,” one user replied on X, “at least one of them called out coaches for not making any adjustments!!!”
Another commented: “Well not everyone [cares] apparently, judging by the results on the field.”
And a third fan called this “another dysfunctional yap session by tomlin and excuses.”
Finally, one angry response simply read: “They SUCK because they care!”
To be fair, at least one Steelers supporter did defend Tomlin, stating: “That’s the nature of the game 🤷♂️ guys are competitors that hate losing. Can’t be mad at that.”
Steelers Reporter Says Fans Want to Fire ‘Mostly’ Everyone Ahead of Week 18
Pat McAfee Show Steelers insider Mark Kaboly dropped a mailbag post on December 30. After speaking with fans over the past few days, his take on this developing situation was that “[Pittsburgh] fans are angry… and want (mostly) everybody gone.”
Let’s start with Tomlin, since he represents the head of the current snake.
“If the Steelers actually do continue to collapse and lose in the playoffs, is Tomlin’s job up for consideration?” One fan asked Kaboly.
He reacted strongly, writing back: “Come on. You don’t even believe that. It’s pretty hard to fire a guy who just got a three-year extension that goes through the 2027 season after being with the team for 18 years and coming off a 10-win season regardless of how they got to 10 wins. And you are asking if his job is up for consideration? Now, if you ask me if it should be, well, I’d say no to that one, too.”
Kaboly doesn’t think defensive coordinator Teryl Austin deserves to be on the “hot seat” either.
“The simple answer is no,” the veteran beat reporter told a different Steelers supporter after being asked if Austin’s job could be on the line.
“[Austin] is signed through the 2025 season, and we know from last year with Matt Canada that something cataclysmic has to happen for the organization to dump a coordinator before their contract is up,” Kaboly explained. “Austin hasn’t done a terrible job. Yeah, they need to be better than they have been – much better, but this isn’t solely Austin’s defense. We’ve seen from Hard Knocks that Mike Tomlin has his fingers in everything… Now, maybe we can revisit this next year, but I don’t see Austin getting dumped anytime soon and he shouldn’t.”
Kaboly Doesn’t Seem Confident in Arthur Smith’s Offense vs. Top Competition
Kaboly defended quarterback Russell Wilson throughout this mailbag session, expressing that he does not see him as the main issue over the course of this losing streak. Having said that, the reporter seemed less confident in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense as a whole.
“Is Arthur Smith’s offensive schemes becoming stale and moldy?” One fan pondered. Kaboly’s response was not all that complimentary.
“I would say that they are just not good enough to deal with some of the best teams in the NFL in Philly, Baltimore, and Kansas City,” he replied. “This is the same coordinator that schemed up 32 points per game in the early part of the month. But for them to have any chance in the playoffs, it has to be better. How? Figure it out.”
By no means is Kaboly’s opinion law, but his answer here is almost as frustrating as Tomlin’s — in part, because there might be some truth to it.
If Wilson and Smith fold against the best of the best and Tomlin’s defense continues to display chinks in the armor, this team’s Super Bowl dreams will go up in a puff of smoke. That end result has been happening far too often around Pittsburgh in recent years, and that’s the major root of all the anger when all is said and done.
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Mike Tomlin’s Frustrating Week 18 Response Further Angers Steelers Fans