The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL in Mike Tomlin. He's been one of the best in the league since taking over the team in 2007, although he has not won a Super Bowl since the 2008 season. Pittsburgh is a city that is used to winning Super Bowls, and it has been far too long since the team has looked like legitimate threats to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The organization has been in a state of turmoil in recent years, and the late-season collapse to end 2024 has the fan base on edge when it comes to Tomlin.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on during a tough game against the Ravens at the end of the 2024 season.
A large portion of fans was calling for Tomlin's job after Pittsburgh lost its final four games of the regular season and then got embarrassed by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the postseason. As expected, Tomlin kept his job. He signed an extension ahead of the 2024 season, so the organization is financially committed to the coach for the foreseeable future. Many former players and people in the media defend Tomlin, as the belief is that he consistently overachieves with the roster he has.
One of the people that consistently defends Tomlin is Ryan Clark, his former player. Clark did that again during an appearance on First Take earlier in the week, as he suggested Tomlin leave the organization on his own accord.
"The fact that this team continues to be competitive, the fact that you can look at this roster and say in many places, 'Oh, they gotta get better there. Oh, they gotta get better there,'" Clark began to explain. "And the fact that this team, to me, at least early every season overachieves and Mike Tomlin gives you a chance to compete, but yet you want to go do something else. That's why I've been saying I wish they'd do it. I wish Mike Tomlin would walk into the office of Omar Khan and say, 'It's time for me to go have my Andy Reid second act. It's time for me to go somewhere else with a new, a new group of players in a new locker room that my voice will resonate with and go win more Super Bowls.'"
Clark obviously has a bit of a bias towards Tomlin. The two were in Pittsburgh together for seven seasons, and the duo went to two Super Bowls and won one. The reality of the situation is that the Steelers have not been competitive enough to make it to a Super Bowl in over a decade, and a team led by Tomlin has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin ahead of a 2024 home game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Clark references Andy Reid, who consistently had a competitive team as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was never able to win a Super Bowl with Philadelphia, which led to him being fired. He was hired almost immediately by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he has had endless success.
The same could happen for Tomlin, as he would be a hot commodity if he and Pittsburgh ever parted ways. That day may come, but it won't be any time soon as he is under contract in Pittsburgh through the 2027 season.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Creates His Own Issues
One of the commonly used excuses for Tomlin is that he has overachieved with the talent on his rosters. This is an invalid excuse, as the head coach of 18 years has a lot of say in how the roster is constructed. He has almost complete say in who the organization brings in, as well as other roster moves.
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Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, and Art Rooney II at training camp.
A down year every once in a while is completely understandable. However, not winning a playoff game in eight seasons is not. Some serious changes need to be seen in Pittsburgh, as well as some results. Being competitive in the regular season is not enough, and the fan base is getting restless.
What do you think about Clark wishing Tomlin would leave Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments below!
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