Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is on the hot seat for the first time in his career, maybe not from Art Rooney and the rest of the front office, but from the fans and the national media. The Super Bowl-winning head coach has a fantastic track record throughout his career, but his recent lack of success has many wondering if it’s time to move on.
We’ve heard ad nauseam about Tomlin’s non-losing season streak, but that doesn’t really matter if it’s not translating to postseason success. And it clearly hasn’t, as the Steelers have won just three postseason games since 2011 and none since 2016.
It’s been one of the franchise’s longest stretches without notable postseason success, and it’s fair to wonder if Tomlin is the right coach to get them back on track.
In a recent article by Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus, he named 10 coaches who are on the hot seat entering the 2025 season. And one of those names is none other than Mike Tomlin, because of the lack of postseason success and due to the team constantly underperforming at the end of the year. Here is a snippet of what Locker had to say about Tomlin going into the upcoming season:
"Another complicating factor is a high-paid defense that underwhelmed in 2024, sitting 18th in EPA per play and 30th in success rate from Week 10 onward. Tomlin’s poor timeout management, questionable late-down decision making, challenge indiscretions and roster building all warrant criticism."Bradley Locker, Pro Football Focus
The blame falls on Mike Tomlin for the Pittsburgh Steelers' utter lack of recent playoff success
The Steelers have not performed well in December and January over the last several seasons, and they’ve often “peaked” in the early months of the year. And whenever matched up against quality opponents, they’ve failed to rise to the occasion, especially on defense. In their last six postseason games, the Steelers are allowing an average of 38.3 points per game, with all six games resulting in a loss.
The lack of solid quarterback play obviously is a factor, but Tomlin’s handling of the position in the post-Roethlisberger era has been downright awful. And now, they will be relying on a soon-to-be 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph in 2025, with neither option being all that intriguing.
Tomlin hasn't ever had to develop a quarterback, as Roethlisberger had already won a Super Bowl before he arrived. He has not shown the ability or the patience to develop a quarterback and has since opted for stop-gap options, including Russell Wilson, Mitchell Trubisky, Justin Fields, and, likely, Aaron Rodgers soon.
There is no doubt that players love to be coached by Tomlin, but his effectiveness seems to be waning. Another year without a postseason victory would start to raise big questions about his ability to adapt to the modern game. Tomlin is known for being a floor-raising coach, but with the lack of playoff success, it might be time for both sides to move on.