The Pittsburgh Steelers could very well negotiate another extension for head coach, Mike Tomlin, during the 2023 off-season according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The report came out on Tuesday and even though the team's leader is under contract through the 2024 season, leadership may look to lock him in Pittsburgh longer than that over the course of the next few months.
Taking a look at the schematics and how the Rooney's have always done business, it makes sense, but would be the wrong move given the current state of the franchise.

Steelers owner, Art Rooney II roams the sidelines prior to a 2022 preseason game at Acrisure Stadium. | Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin's Contract Extension Speculated To Possibly Happen In The Near Future
There is no doubting that Tomlin has had unwavering success during the regular season since being hired back in 2007. His one Super Bowl Championship and another appearance within his first five years had the entire city ready for a new dynasty to materialize. But, the three playoff wins in the last decade has the fan base split on whether he should stick around or not.
It's also hard to disagree with the fact that if Pittsburgh decided to part ways with Tomlin, there would be a team out there, or multiple, that wouldn't hesitate to offer him a large amount of money to come aboard.
Regardless of the Steelers typical methods of operation in terms of extending Tomlin with two years left on his contract, he needs to be held accountable if no coaching changes were made at the end of the 2022 season and the team doesn't improve in 2023. Why allow him to sit back and be comfortable if he didn't earn it?

Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin on the field at Heinz Field prior to a 2021 regular season matchup. | Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Extending Tomlin prior to the 2023 season would be a mistake and here's why:
1.) Sends The Wrong Message To Fan Base
Fans are an important part of an NFL team's operation. It doesn't necessarily mean ownership is listening to their viewpoint on things. At the end of the day, the facts are the facts, however. The Steelers aren't competitive right now and while Tomlin is a great leader and proven winner, acting as if he is untouchable is different than almost every franchise in the league.
The majority of his coaching tree speaks for itself and if the offense, after retaining Matt Canada for another year stalls in 2023, why does he deserve the contractual comfort prior to the new season beginning? Fans want playoff success, not winning seasons.
2.) Andy Reid And The Eagles Breakup
Andy Reid was a phenomenal head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2012. Sure, he led multiple teams that had losing records and Tomlin hasn't, but at the end of it all, the organization understood it was time to move on after the ultimate goal couldn't be reached. Since, Reid has won a Super Bowl elsewhere and Philadelphia is competing for a second since the break up.
It worked out for both because of how the organizations are run. There's no need to think the Steelers can't replicate that if the right situation is presented. Tomlin's contract isn't expiring after 2023. See how the year goes and then make a determination if the relationship has gone stale and the organization needs a change.

Steelers offensive coordinator, Matt Canada (left) and head coach Mike Tomlin (right). | Credit: Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
3.) Change Isn't Always A Bad Thing
The Steelers organization has always operated with the opposite viewpoint. The longer a core group stays together, especially within the coaching staff, the higher chance of longterm success. The franchise needs to take a step back and define what success really means.
This is by no means a call to fire Tomlin right now, but rather, make him feel as if his comfortable job security isn't exactly as safe as the league thinks.
It's hard to knock Tomlin for his coaching, especially as he lands in the top 20 most winning coaches in NFL history. But a 2023 contract extension is unnecessary given the current state of the team. Art Rooney II should make him earn another two to three years based on a playoff win and appearance in 2023. How many other franchises would extend a coach who wins three playoff games in a decade?
The answer: Only one. This is no questioning Tomlin's coaching abilities, but rather, challenging the leadership to comprehend that lack of success should sometimes trump loyalty.
Do you think a Tomlin extension is warranted for the Steelers within the next few months? Let us know in the comments below!
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