Steelers fans' message for Mike Tomlin rings over broadcast in loss to Bills

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 season isn’t over, as deflating as their loss to the Buffalo Bills is. In fact, their playoff chances didn’t even shift, according to NFL.com’s metrics. Baltimore retakes the lead in the division, but Pittsburgh’s postseason chances still sit at 30 percent despite the loss.

Still, the team has lost five of its last seven, has a banged-up near-42-year-old quarterback, and a long list of issues on both sides of the ball. And in the minds of many Steelers fans, every one of those issues begins with head coach Mike Tomlin.

At .500 heading into a difficult December stretch, Tomlin’s notable mark of zero-losing seasons is at risk. The eight-season drought in the postseason without a victory already had the fanbase coming to grips with the idea that a parting with Tomlin might be on the horizon.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans' frustrations with Mike Tomlin reach a new threshold

Fans inside Acrisure Stadium made their voices heard as the Steelers collapsed against the Bills after carrying a 7-3 lead at halftime. First came the boos, then came the “Fire Tomlin” chants, which were audible over the CBS broadcast briefly in the fourth quarter.

The boo-birds have been loud in Pittsburgh for years, but the chants to fire the longest tenured coach in the NFL haven’t been quite as loud before as they were on Sunday.

Of course, the fact that Pittsburgh’s season is far from over likely means the chants are little more than early buzz, contingent on whether things continue to fall south for this year’s campaign. At the same time, Tomin’s status in the league, despite the franchise’s struggles for the better part of the past decade, certainly offers him some cushion.

Ultimately, the decision will fall to Art Rooney II. Considering the team will likely be restarting at quarterback once again, while the league’s highest-paid defense struggled to play at a consistently high level, Rooney’s decision is far from easy.

Do you offer the new quarterback stability or a fresh slate? Do you blow up the whole thing or continue to build around some promising pieces?

READ MORE: Mike Tomlin’s latest decision already looks like a brutal mistake

Tomlin has earned his own say, as many have stated in the past. Many believe he could have the Steelers’ job for as long as he wants it. His decision, as such, is just as difficult. Pursue a new challenge as Andy Reid did many years ago, moving from Philadelphia to Kansas City to the betterment of both franchises, or try to revive the Steelers’ image in the NFL picture?

With the Steelers struggling, hurdling toward another disappointing finish, the chants are far from surprising to hear. Whether or not they grow will depend on the remainder of the season. Two dates with Baltimore, a date with Detroit, and dangerous matchups with Cleveland and Miami are all that remain of the regular season.

Any more lapses against those teams, those chants could justifiably ring throughout Acrisure Stadium more and more.