It's Ground Hog Day, Pittsburgh! The date might not read February 2, but for Pittsburgh, the playoffs provide the same outcome on a different day each year. Some seasons the Steelers miss the postseason, but more times than not, they squeak into the elimination tournament on an annual basis.
Since 2017, it seems like a bad movie we all get duped into watching yearly. Against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round, the Steelers were embarrassed in a pitiful 28-14 loss—resulting in another early exit from the postseason.
Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, which should be seen as an admirable achievement. That being said, he also hasn't won a single playoff game since January 8, 2017. There has been constant quarterback turnover since that time, which saw the club go from an aging Ben Roethlisberger to Kenny Pickett, with a couple of bridge options, and now Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Perhaps you can say Tomlin has been without a top quarterback since Roethlisberger started to age out, but even then, he should've won some playoff games. Their recent disaster was shocking to witness. After a 10-3 start to the campaign, Pittsburgh witnessed their favorite team shrink at the end of the year. Pittsburgh completely collapsed and that's a reflection on Tomlin.
Art Rooney II will have to make a controversial decision on Mike Tomlin
After their postseason failures last year, Art Rooney II was on record saying he is getting tired of the same old same old. He also mentioned Tomlin in that same statement. Despite his concerns about the lack of playoff success, he rewarded his top coach with a nice extension, which included a no-trade clause. This latest playoff disaster will show what Rooney's true intentions are going forward.
Would the Steelers have the courage to even consider firing Tomlin, especially after they just extended him last year?
Well, don't count on them making that move. They love their coach, and it seems like they are comfortable sitting in the middle of the NFL's pack for a while. It appears like they are ready to just sit at the bottom of the postseason seedings and hope for an upset along the way.
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There will be no victory in Rooney's decision about the Steelers Head coaching position. Keeping Tomlin will create a fire among the fanbase, but many have grown to accept that his job will probably never become in jeopardy.
On the other hand, if Tomlin were to be fired or moved somehow, then it would also create a lot of controversy across the nation who hold Tomlin in high regard.
Like it or not, this latest playoff flub won't put Tomlin in much danger. Sadly, the Steelers continue to accept their failures and stick with playoff disappointment. Yes, Tomlin is a good coach and would get another NFL job instantly if fired, but it might be time for a fresh look in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will stick to their roots and keep him, but it might not be the best outcome if they want a Super Bowl.