Getty Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watches his team play against the New England Patriots.
Much to the chagrin of significant swaths of the Pittsburgh Steelers fanbase, head coach Mike Tomlin is going to retain his role within the organization for quite some time.
Losing to the 2-10 New England Patriots in front of a home crowd on Thursday Night Football was a low point of Tomlin’s lengthy tenure at the Pittsburgh helm, especially on the heels of a home loss to a putrid Arizona Cardinals outfit that also entered the night at 2-10.
But the Steelers are still 7-6, putting them firmly in the mix for one of the AFC’s coveted wild-card berths. More importantly, the organization is sending no signals that Tomlin is on the outs.
No ‘Knee-Jerk Decisions’ Coming for Mike Tomlin
Should we give Mike Tomlin a pass?
@JoyTaylorTalks weighs in
The Steelers appreciate longevity.
Mike Tomlin took the job as head coach back in 2007 and has never submitted a losing record during his 16 completed seasons steering the ship. Before him, Bill Cowher reigned from 1992-2006, and Chuck Noll preceded him from 1969-91. That’s three coaches spanning parts of seven decades—an unprecedented and unmatched level of continuity in a business that rarely honors the full terms of coaching contracts before seeking out newer and shinier options.
And as Diani Russini explained for The Athletic, that’s not changing anytime soon.
“It’s hard to find anyone in the Steelers’ organization who strongly believes 51-year-old Mike Tomlin will get fired,” Russini reported after the Week 14 loss to the Patriots. “Though the head coach who has never had a losing season has been losing lately, and to losing teams in front of their home crowd, it’s always explained to me by people who know the operation: Caution and patience.”
If that’s not convincing enough, Russini also cited other evidence while writing that “Pittsburgh owner Art Rooney II doesn’t make knee-jerk decisions regarding his staff, and he has proven to be one of the most loyal owners in sports.”
When the Steelers uncharacteristically fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada in the middle of the campaign, that decision was made by Tomlin himself. And, per Russini, “even that was described by people around the league as a surprising move despite how badly the offense was struggling. I was told by a team source that move was made by Tomlin and Tomlin only. [Pittsburgh president Art Rooney II] was made aware, but it was the head coach’s call.”
Coaches on the way out don’t typically have the luxury of making such significant and autonomous personnel decisions.
But Tomlin isn’t on the way out. His contract runs through the conclusion of the 2024 season, and the Steelers are well aware of how much internal and external sentiments can swing in that timeframe.
Tomlin and the Steelers are Trending in the Wrong Direction
It’s no secret the Steelers aren’t particularly satisfied this season.
At 7-6, they’re currently in possession of the second of three wild-card berths in the AFC, but that status is tenuous at best. The Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills all have identical records, and the Steelers have a tough slate of opponents left.
After traveling to play the Colts, they return home for a matchup with the Bengals, who have been surprisingly feisty with Jake Browning under center in place of an injured Joe Burrow. Then they finish the regular season with road contests against the 6-7 Seattle Seahawks and the 10-3 Baltimore Ravens, who won’t be motivated to ease up on their bitter rivals even if they’ve already locked up postseason seeding.
Per Tankathon, the Steelers (.577) have the hardest remaining schedule of any of the 7-6 squads. The Bengals (.577) and Bills (.529) have comparable slates, but the Colts (.481), Texans (.460), and Broncos (.423) have, by comparison, cupcake-laden calendars.
That’s bad news for a team on the heels of making history by losing consecutive home games to 2-10 squads, especially given the increasing uncertainty under center as Kenny Pickett (injured ankle), Mitchell Trubisky (poor play), Mason Rudolph (lack of reps) and Trace McSorley (inexperience) fail to be available or inspire confidence.
Speculation is Growing About Whether Mike Tomlin Will be Fired
Those who want to see the Steelers fire Mike Tomlin are short-sighted. If they really wanted to move on they can TRADE him . He has value
Retired Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ed Bouchette argued that the Steelers should look into trading rather firing Tomlin. However, that couldn’t happen until the offseason, and only seven head coaches have been traded in the last 25 years.
Unlikely as the Steelers might be to cut the cord on the head coach’s contract, going such an unorthodox route feels even more implausible.
Still, this type of speculation is only ramping up as Pittsburgh trends further from the AFC North crown. And if Tomlin can’t keep his troops above .500, such a first-of-his-tenure outcome would only lead to the vultures swarming with even more vigor.
“[It’s a] 50% chance.” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipoldo said about whether Tomlin gest the axe during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. “… We’ll know pretty soon, after the season ends, what direction Art Rooney is gonna go here, because if he does nothing and he brings him back for another year, you have to extend him. There’s no reason to bring him back in 2024 as a lame-duck head coach. You’re not gonna be able to go out and get a good offensive coordinator when the head coach is on a one-year deal, basically.”
TribLIVE’s Mark Madden used even stronger language in his column after the loss to New England.
“Coach Mike Tomlin should be fired the minute this wasted Steelers season ends. Enough with adhering religiously to what daddy and granddaddy did. When the coach deserves to be fired, fire him,” he wrote. “Never changing coaches is supposed to give the Steelers stability. Do these Steelers look stable to you?”
Writers across publications, talking heads at a wide variety of platforms and fans all over the world can make the most compelling arguments imaginable. They have plenty of fodder when putting together their cases, now more than ever after two straight ugly losses.
But Art Rooney II is the man who calls the shots, and nothing indicates he’s ready to hand over the clipboard to anyone else.