Steelers HC Mike Tomlin's Job Status Continues To Be Defended By National Media After Latest Embarrassing Loss

There's been a growing debate over Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin in the last few weeks. After back-to-back losses to two-win teams, the Steelers now stand at 7-6 on the year. The season is not lost yet, but those were two missed opportunities for the AFC North unit. With the schedule becoming a bit tougher down the stretch, a playoff appearance doesn't appear as likely now. In the meantime, people have begun to question Tomlin's future in Pittsburgh.

It seems as if the national media continues to defend Tomlin, given his success over nearly 20 years with the team. Rich Eisen was one of his defenders, but after the most recent loss to the New England Patriots, even he is understanding of the other side now. Steelers fans think the team should at least consider moving on from the head coach, which sounds crazy on the surface. National NFL reporter Jason La Canfora appeared on 93.7 The Fan on Monday, and he stated the case for holding onto Tomlin.

"The grass ain't always greener... Do a little study. Look at every franchise in the league and their coaching history since you guys hired Mike Tomlin," La Canfora said to Adam Crowley.

In all likelihood, the Steelers will hold onto their longtime head man. As we've seen over the past few months, the organization doesn't exactly like change. It took them far too long to move on from former Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada, so there's no reason to realistically think they would move on from Tomlin. He still has yet to coach a Steelers team to a below .500 record, although that streak could be in jeopardy this season.

The Steelers are still very much in the playoff picture, as the AFC remains a cluster at the moment. Even if they do make the playoffs though, realistically, Tomlin's squad isn't doing any real damage. Even some of his former players, most notably Ryan Clark, have stepped in to share their thoughts on the current state of the team. Clark, amongst others, have made it clear that things need to change in the building.

Are The Steelers Lacking Accountability At The Moment?

From the outside, the accountability seems to be lacking, particularly when it comes to playmakers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. The two have exchanged their fair share of drama this season, which has typically stemmed from a lack of involvement in the poor offense. Tomlin has refuted their drama in the public, but he's likely addressed things behind closed doors.

It's how he has always done things, and in Monday's press conference, he did acknowledge that Pickens' actions have become a problem. Again, that was quite the surprise given how reserved Tomlin has been when he's been asked about Pickens and Johnson this season. 

The Steelers typically like to promote their coaches from within the organization, and there's certainly not a head coach-worthy candidate on their staff right now. 

If they did opt to move on from Tomlin, that would mean they would have to look elsewhere for their replacement. Unfortunately, no one on the open market has the kind of experience and resume that Tomlin has. That, coupled with how the Rooney family typically handles things, makes for an unlikely scenario in which these two sides move on from each other. Even if he does stay though, the criticism is becoming louder and louder in Pittsburgh.

Do you think there should be legitimate conversation about firing Tomlin? In a world that they did fire him, who would be your dream replacement for him? What are your expectations for this 2023 team down the stretch? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites, yinz!

#SteelerNation