We are still reeling from the shocking news that the Baltimore Ravens moved on from long-time Head Coach John Harbaugh. Despite a long history of good seasons, Baltimore decided to go in another direction. The Pittsburgh Steelers ended his Ravens career by beating them out for a playoff spot on Sunday.
Mike Tomlin has just been put on notice.
Harbaugh was a coach in a similar mold to Tomlin. He consistently found success in the league, including a Super Bowl win. Under his leadership, Baltimore was almost always competitive in the AFC North.
However, he struggled to get over the hump recently despite coaching some really talented teams. His mounting lackluster years ultimately cost him, and Tomlin could see a similar path unfold if his tenure continues in mediocrity.
Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers' ending could mirror John Harbaugh’s
The long-tenure era in coaching is seemingly over for most teams. Unless you are getting results on a regular basis, you can’t be seen as safe in the coaching ranks.
The Ravens will be a curious case for Pittsburgh to study. Can they turn things around quickly with a fresh face, or do they fail to improve?
Pittsburgh has similar issues with Tomlin in charge. It feels like their teams have underwhelmed most years, and the new status of success feels like maintaining his record of never having a losing season.
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Fans are getting fed up with it, as evidenced by the “Fire Tomlin” chants from just a few weeks ago. While his spot should be safe for another year, given their push into the playoffs, if the long-term issues aren’t corrected, he is just as vulnerable as Harbaugh was.
I wouldn’t even say his spot is completely safe right now. An embarrassing loss to the Texans on Monday will put Tomlin back in the crosshairs. The same story of he does enough to win but not enough to thrive, will be in full force.
Harbaugh even had plenty of excuses. The Ravens have been littered with injuries as of late. Losing your franchise quarterback for multiple stretches is hard for any team to overcome.
That didn’t stop the Ravens from moving on, though. You need to find constant success at the NFL level to keep your job.
I’ve said for a while that Tomlin is a good coach, but the game has passed him by. Harbaugh seems like a similar story. While this playoff game will hold a lot of weight, if the Steelers are once again one-and-done, we may be facing a similar issue as the Ravens next year.
His getting fired is a massive shot to stable coaches and Tomlin. If his struggles continue to end the year and through 2026, we could be talking about a similar outcome a year from now.