Hot Seat? Steelers' Art Rooney Can't Continue To Let Mike Tomlin Slide While Entire 'AFC Keeps Lapping Them'

The Pittsburgh Steelers under Head Coach Mike Tomlin have never experienced a losing season. That’s a truly remarkable feat in the ever-competitive NFL, but it doesn’t tell the full story. Despite the consistency, Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season. That is a long drought, especially for a franchise that expects to win meaningful games every year. In Pittsburgh, just making the playoffs is not enough. Winning in January has always been the standard.

The Steelers are known for their coaching stability, with only three head coaches since 1969. Firing a coach has never been the typical approach, but frustration is starting to boil over. Many fans are beginning to question whether Tomlin can still lead the team to a Super Bowl. The recent lack of postseason success and repeated early exits have caused some to believe that it might be time for a new direction.

Although the Steelers are unlikely to part ways with Tomlin anytime soon, the national media has started to apply pressure. More analysts are beginning to hold him accountable for the team’s playoff failures. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus recently listed Tomlin as a coach on the hot seat heading into the 2025 season. That kind of attention shows that the expectations in Pittsburgh have not changed and that time may be running out to meet them.

"Tomlin remains among the NFL’s most contested coaches," Locker said. "Some feel he’s one of the league’s very best in his ability to finish with a winning record despite poor rosters, while the other side of the spectrum stresses his consistent failures late in the season. The Steelers have amassed a 38-29-1 record over the past four years but haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season, which is a staggering amount of time considering the talent they’ve had in that span and how many opportunities the organization has had to change that."

Tomlin remains a polarizing figure both within the fan base and in the national media. Many pundits hold sharply different opinions about how good of a coach he is or isn’t. 

His recent playoff failures have only added to the complexity of how he is viewed and have fueled ongoing debate about his future with the team.

"Another complicating factor is a high-paid defense that underwhelmed in 2024, sitting 18th in EPA per play and 30th in success rate from Week 10 onward," Locker said. "Tomlin’s poor timeout management, questionable late-down decision making, challenge indiscretions and roster building all warrant criticism. If the Steelers end north of .500 yet again, it feels implausible that owner Art Rooney would actually make a change from his 19-year head coach. But how long can a storied franchise that prides itself on achievements be content with doing nothing in January as others in the AFC keep lapping them?"

There is no denying that Tomlin is a tremendous leader and a respected head coach in the NFL. His ability to motivate players and maintain a winning culture has kept the Steelers competitive year after year. Few coaches in the league can match his consistency, and his track record of avoiding losing seasons is unmatched.

Steelers' Tomlin Has Something To Prove 

However, you cannot be labeled a great or elite head coach if you have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season. That is simply too long, regardless of the circumstances or excuses. Even some of Tomlin’s strongest defenders have started to voice concerns about the team’s lack of postseason success.

Two things can be true at once. Tomlin is a good head coach who has earned respect across the league, but he still has something to prove. If he wants to be remembered among the truly elite, he must start winning in the playoffs again. Regular season success is valuable, but in Pittsburgh, championships define legacies.

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