The Pittsburgh Steelers have reached that point in the season where Head Coach Mike Tomlin is facing heavy criticism. Despite signing a three-year extension in the 2024 offseason, which keeps him with the team through the 2027 season, Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season. This has led to growing frustration among Steeler Nation over his lack of postseason success.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin taking the field for the team's Week 3 home opener against the Chargers in 2024.
What makes the situation more frustrating is that Tomlin has had talented rosters. While he won a Super Bowl early in his career with the Steelers, he’s struggled to recapture that postseason magic in recent years. Although Tomlin has never had a losing season in his 17 years with the team, fans are growing increasingly impatient. Many are more concerned about getting back into the Super Bowl hunt and are beginning to doubt whether Tomlin can lead them there.
Danny Parkins recently appeared on Fox Sports' Breakfast Ball to share his thoughts on Tomlin. While Parkins gave Tomlin credit where it was due, he didn’t hold back, calling him the most overrated head coach in the league.
"He deserves a ton of respect for doing more with less. Never having a losing season is incredible. With Mike Tomlin, you have a very good floor, you have a good culture, you have an eloquent, impressive leader who commands a room. All those things I would never take away from him," Parkins said. "But I would also say he's the single most overrated coach in the NFL. This guy is living off of a Super Bowl from 16 years ago with a quarterback that he didn't bring in. In the postseason, since that Super Bowl, he is 5-9."
The Steelers are in desperate need of returning to Super Bowl contention, but first, they must break their playoff win drought.
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Owner Dan Rooney (right), Head Coach Mike Tomlin (middle) and Ben Roethlisberger (left) celebrate a Super Bowl win.
Heading into the 2024 season, there was hope they could turn things around, but after back-to-back losses by just three points each, frustration is mounting, and fans are once again directing their anger at Tomlin. It’s rare for the national media to criticize him, but Parkins didn’t hold back, offering a blunt assessment of Tomlin’s performance.
"This guy is a defensive coach, gives you a high floor. But he does not actually give you a chance in the modern NFL to win a Super Bowl, because he hasn't either through hiring the right person, drafting the right quarterback, or actually having a defense that is dominant enough to win in January against great quarterbacks. He no longer gives you a chance to win a Super Bowl."
Tomlin has consistently had plenty of talent on defense, but recently, even that unit has underperformed. Meanwhile, the offense, though slightly improved from the 2023 season, is far from the powerhouse many hoped for.
It’s still early, and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is new to the team, but expectations for more offensive production by this point in the season have not been met.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Facing A Lot Of Pressure From The Fan Base
Tomlin is undeniably a great leader—arguably the best in the NFL—and a solid head coach. However, his lack of recent postseason success is becoming impossible to overlook. While the Steelers remain in a decent position for the 2024 season, they could have easily won both games they’ve lost so far.
AP
Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks upset while speaking to the Pittsburgh media.
As the Steelers prepare to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, the pressure is mounting. Though Tomlin still has a strong base of supporters, frustration is growing over the team’s playoff struggles. The 2024 season is critical for Tomlin, as he needs to deliver postseason success to quiet the growing doubts within the fan base.
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