With yet another embarrassing one-and-done playoff stint, Steelers fans are beyond restless and desperate for change. Pittsburgh was spanked by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round, who raced off to a 21-0 lead in the first half—Marking the second time since December this AFC North rival pulverized the Steelers.
The Steelers fell about down the stretch—losing five straight games (counting the playoffs) to close out the year. Not only did this team continue an eight-year drought without so much as a single playoff win, but they also have just three postseason victories over the past 14 years.
Despite his reputation as a Super Bowl-winning head coach and future Hall of Famer, fans are out on Mike Tomlin... and it's not hard to see why.
There comes a point in every coach's tenure where things get stale. The Steelers have been here for years. Though a recent report from Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests ownership has no plans to move on from Tomlin, perhaps swapping one 'Mike' for another with an outstanding track record could change their mind.
The Dallas Cowboys have been busy pondering what to do about the future of their team, and they've finally come to a decision. After going 12-5 for three straight seasons with Mike McCarthy, injuries plagued Dallas in 2024 and the team finished with a disappointing 7-10 record.
On January 13, NFL Insider Tom Pelissero reported that McCarthy is out as the head coach of the Cowboys as the sides could not come to terms on the length of a new contract.
Sources: Mike McCarthy is out as #Cowboys coach.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 13, 2025
The sides couldn’t agree on length of contract and McCarthy will pursue other opportunities. He leaves Dallas with a winning record and three playoff appearances. pic.twitter.com/MJzWvUlfjU
Meanwhile, with Pittsburgh going nowhere fast, perhaps they should do the unthinkable and usher in change by swapping one Super Bowl-winning head coach for another.
Steelers should consider swapping Mike Tomlin for Mike McCarthy
I want to preface by saying that in no way do I believe this will happen. The plan was always for Mike Tomlin to walk away on his own terms and he has Art Rooney II in his hip pocket. But swapping one 'Mike' for another with an impressive resume isn't the wildest thought.
Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery for a coach to revitalize his career, and both of these long-time head coaches could use a fresh start. In recent years, McCarthy has found more success than Mike Tomlin—finishing with a combined record of 36-15 from 2021-2023 and winning a playoff game two years ago.
At the very least, the Steelers would get a boost to their offense, as McCarthy would bring a new system to a team desperate for signs of life on the offensive side of the ball. While Pittsburgh still needs a quarterback to make this engine run, McCarthy knows what he's doing and his offense finished 1st in the NFL in points per game twice in the past four seasons.
At this point, fans are willing to try anything, and if the Rooney's aren't comfortable hiring a young, unproven coach this time around, they could go with a veteran head coach who has a recent playoff win and can call the offense.
Again, it's not going to happen, but I think most Steelers fans would sign up for just about anything at this point. You could do a whole lot worse than Mike McCarthy if Pittsburgh decided it's time to move on from Mike Tomlin.