The Pittsburgh Steelers don't know what it feels like to have a losing season under Head Coach Mike Tomlin. While many believed that the 2023 season would be a year of resurgence and success in Pittsburgh, the results have been lackluster at best and horrendous at their worst. With the playoffs still within their reach, many are wondering what the best course of action would be for the 2023 Steelers to take for the remainder of their season. Instead of fighting to retain that non-losing record, one analyst believes that losing would be in the Steelers' best interest.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin could be nearing the end of his time in Pittsburgh, so we should enjoy it while we have it
Steelers Standard Has Fallen Far Short Of Expectations
Considering that the Steelers are currently sitting at 7-6 with, the typical result for the Steelers is to band together and come out swinging in their final four games of 2023. However, when you take the future of the franchise into account, the path forward suddenly isn't as clear anymore.
On CBS Sports That Other Pregame Show on Sunday, Adam Schein joined the crew to take a closer look at the 2023 Steelers. What he saw was concerning, and it made him truly believe that the best thing that the organization could do for itself wasn't to fight, but rather, lose out and do some soul-searching as a result.
"This is a mess in Pittsburgh. I think the best thing that could happen to the Steelers - we always say the standard is the standard; what's the standard? Mediocrity. Lose out."
Whether you like it or not, the truth is that for the past decade, Tomlin has turned in average grades with a few successful blips here and there. It isn't just that Tomlin is seen as one of the coaches on a hot seat; it is that after years of holding the line and sticking to the script, 2023 has been all about bucking tradition. The firing of Matt Canada, the change in the draft with Omar Khan and Andy Weidl included in the process, and now the very real possibility that in the near future, the Steelers will not be coached by Tomlin; it's all pointed to a different way forward.
There is still time for Tomlin to pull another rabbit out of the hat and turn the season and his critics around, but something just feels different this time. The usual fire has been replaced by bland, overused phrases that only frustrate rather than explain the disappointing situation in Pittsburgh. If historically removing a coach mid-season wasn't enough to shake things back into order, then perhaps it really is time to think bigger.
Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada was believed to be the main reason for their offensive failures, but that has proven untrue
Steelers Must Face Their Concerning Reality
There is a sense of pride in an organization that sticks to its guns even when things get difficult. It was that pride that gave Bill Cowher a second act after an underperforming few years, especially when most other franchises would have looked elsewhere. Tomlin hasn't had the losing seasons that Cowher did, but the continued refusal to budge and adapt to a modern NFL has the Steelers woefully behind the times.
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers former head coach Bill Cowher was blessed with Ben Roethlisberger, but he was still given a chance by the Rooney family to prove himself
Schein wants the Rooney family to do some serious thinking about what the future of the Steelers looks like and whether having Tomlin as head coach beyond 2023 is the best thing for them. The simple fact that this question is being raised in more public forums is further proof that things are changing in Pittsburgh, whether they want it to or not.
"Here's what I would ask if I were the Rooney family: what's the 2024 Steelers gonna look like? What's the 2025 Steelers gonna look like? Is Kenny Pickett the franchise quarterback? I would actually argue, I don't know. More people would say he's not... Can't blame Matt Canada anymore! Mike Tomlin is in charge of the draft, can't blame Kevin Colbert anymore!"
The excuses are running out. The Steelers have the talent to win, but something is holding them back. Everyone believed it was Canada, but that belief has faded over the past two weeks.
The injury to Kenny Pickett means that the Steelers won't even get the chance to have a full evaluation of his sophomore season. Unless some wild trade happens, the Steelers are locked into Pickett for the moment, and due to the Canada situation and his injuries, 2023 looks like a wash more than a chance to follow up his impressive end to 2022.
The best thing that the Steelers could do is to make sure that the coaching staff surrounding Pickett is competent because the ones around him now don't seem to be doing him any favors. Right now, that is looking more and more like it is not going to include Tomlin.
Who would be the best offensive coordinator to bring into Pittsburgh in 2024 to develop Pickett?
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