It’s a strange time for Pittsburgh Steelers fans. One of the biggest factors for pride in this fan base is the longevity of its coaching hires. Having just three head coaches in 56 years is something that may never be replicated in the NFL ever again.
Still, those coaching tenures for Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher came to their conclusive ends, and Mike Tomlin’s may be approaching as well. The fans in Acrisure Stadium chanted for his firing during their 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills, knowing that the team’s postseason hopes rest on two critical meetings with the Baltimore Ravens over the next five weeks.
Since those chants echoed over the three rivers, the discussion surrounding Tomlin has centered on whether Art Rooney II would even fire his coach after his unprecedented run of winning seasons, over one that could end just the same. With many believing that won’t happen, the other side of the equation is whether Tomlin would walk away himself.
Mike Tomlin’s honesty underscores the urgency facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in December
During his weekly Tuesday press conference, Tomlin leveled with Steelers fans, understanding their passionate plea for his time in Pittsburgh to end.
"In general, I agree with them,” Tomlin said. “Football is our game. We're in the sports entertainment business. And so, if you root for the Steelers, entertaining them is winning. And so, when you're not winning, it's not entertaining."
Tomlin’s acknowledgement that the current product is grounds for a fireable offense is an intriguing statement for Steelers fans to ponder as the regular season winds to a close. Tomlin also acknowledged that the team’s current identity is 6-6 and that he doesn’t like it.
Still, behind the conversation of preparing for the Ravens this week and correcting the mistakes that have put six losses on the board for the franchise, it feels strange to hear Tomlin agree with the fans in their sentiment.
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Should Pittsburgh fall to a losing record or miss the playoffs with another winning record, does he agree then that it is time to move on too? Does he then act on it and move on, as many have suggested over the past few seasons?
The gripes of the fanbase and their calls for his firing aren’t at all based on this year’s disappointments alone. It’s the collective struggles since 2018. The patience to replace Ben Roethlisberger, the patience to see the defense become a dominant force again, and the patience to see a potent rushing attack exist in Pittsburgh has been spent. That’s why the chants rang out from the gold seats of the Steelers’ home stadium.
Certainly, Tomlin’s statement isn’t him or the team throwing in the towel on the 2025 campaign. A lot can happen in five games, and as Tomlin pointed out, their methods this season have produced just as many wins as losses. If the course is corrected and Pittsburgh goes on a run, all of this ‘fire Tomlin’ talk magically goes away.
It’s the other side of that scenario that Yinzers dread. Because if he’s agreeing now but not later, if things do turn south, then fans will have to prepare to do this whole thing once again next season.