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Is the end of the road coming for the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach, and one of the most highly paid?
The Steelers have long prized organizational stability, and head coach Mike Tomlin is just one of three people to hold that post with the team since 1969. (Chuck Noll, who won four Super Bowls, and Bill Cowher, who also won a Lombardi Trophy, are the other two.) Tomlin, however, is now facing unprecedented levels of pressure and speculation about his future during his 19th season in Pittsburgh.
Just 6–6 after a 4–1 start to the season, the Steelers’ ongoing streak of not having a losing season under Tomlin is again in jeopardy after several near-misses in recent years. Pittsburgh has also not won a playoff game since the 2016 season, further signaling the team’s good-but-not-great status. During an ugly 26–7 loss to the Bills on Sunday, audible chants of “Fire Tomlin” could be heard at Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers’ home venue and normally the site of one of the NFL’s strongest home-field advantages.
The rising crowd of voices suggesting it’s time for a change includes Steelers icon Ben Roethlisberger, who helped lead the team to two Super Bowl wins, including one with Tomlin, and holds virtually every franchise passing record.
“It’s been talked around here a lot. Maybe it is ‘clean-house’ time,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast. “I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. But maybe it’s best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best.”
Roethlisberger went further, suggesting Tomlin could be a good fit for Penn State’s open head coaching slot, suggesting that “he would probably go win national championships there.” The former quarterback, however, insisted that the Rooney family, who owns the Steelers, should not fire Tomlin.
“Here’s what you don’t do. You don’t fire a guy like Coach Tomlin,” he said. “He’s a Hall of Fame head coach. He’s respected. What you do is you come to an understanding and agreement, and it’s like, ‘Hey, listen, I think it’s probably best for both of us.’”
Those comments echoed those of former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who said on The Pat McAfee Show that, “If I were Mike, I’d want to get out and go somewhere new—start over.”
Tomlin’s 19 seasons with Pittsburgh are one more than the current tenure of John Harbaugh, head coach of the rival Ravens. The $16 million annual salary for Tomlin is tied for fourth highest in the NFL.
Coaching Response
Tomlin, for his part, said he shares the frustrations of Steelers fans.
“In general, I agree with them, from this perspective: Football is our game. We’re in a sports entertainment business,” he said. “So if you root for the Steelers, entertaining them is winning. And so when you’re not winning, it’s not entertaining.”
