Former Steelers DC Keith Butler Has Shocking Admission Of Mike Tomlin's Refusal To Fire Coaches

The Pittsburgh Steelers have certainly remained consistent with Head Coach Mike Tomlin running the show since the beginning of the 2007 campaign. A Super Bowl has been won since, and another was lost, but the struggles of the last decade have not gone unnoticed. Without a playoff win since the 2016 season, the franchise is facing intense scrutiny from a frustrated fan base. Many have wondered when legitimate changes will occur, specifically on the coaching staff. The roster has been overhauled during the 2025 offseason, but a lot of the individuals wearing headsets on the sidelines have remained the same.

It seems like it has become the norm for Tomlin to address the media at the end of each season, following a Wild Card loss or no playoff appearance at all, and tell everyone that changes need to be made from within. Despite this, the Steelers almost never let coaches go that are under contract. It comes off as cheap, but also as if the leader of the team in Tomlin is far too loyal to his staff.

Loyalty is not a bad thing, but there are countless examples of why certain individuals should have been let go in the past. For one, there is no way Matt Canada should have been in charge of the offense throughout the 2023 offseason, but he was, and ended up having to be fired right as the backend of the schedule was set to begin.

One of Tomlin's long-time assistants, Keith Butler, recently spoke with Talegate Sports in an interview and talked a little bit about Tomlin. Many could perceive his compliments as very thoughtful, but fans of the Steelers could absolutely twist them into something much more different.

"He's a great guy," Butler said of Tomlin. "Coaching in the NFL, you've got to make some hard decisions for guys that you like, guys that you want to keep around. He did whatever he had to do in terms of trying to keep a coaching staff together, in terms of trying to win Super Bowls, trying to get to Super Bowls. He did whatever he could to do all that, and he learned as he went."

Winning Super Bowls requires change when a team is not close to that level. Ever since the 2017 campaign began, Pittsburgh hasn't even sniffed an opportunity to raise a Lombardi Trophy. Despite this, the coaching staff hasn't been revamped all that much, unless someone's contract was up. Butler's comments prove that Tomlin will keep guys around just because he likes the camaraderie, but loyalty can sometimes be a very bad trait, depending on the situation.

It can't be easy to let go of coaches that have been by your side for so many years, but the NFL is a business, and Tomlin does not seem to treat it that way when it comes to needing to make adjustments with the group that surrounds him every day. Butler was with the Steelers for a long time, and deservedly so, as he was a phenomenal linebackers coach. However, his stint as the defensive coordinator lasted seven years, and it probably should have ended much sooner.

In 2018, the Steelers' defense only had eight interceptions total while having a league-high 136 penalties. Many called for Butler's firing after this season, but he ended up remaining on the sidelines for three more years after that. Make no mistake, loyalty is a great trait to have, but it seems as if Tomlin lets that get in the way of making sound business decisions.

Steelers Are Running Out Of Excuses For A Loyal Fan Base

Overall, Pittsburgh isn't a city that expects to go almost a decade without a playoff victory. That currently is the case and many have placed the blame on Tomlin. His post-season press conferences about significant changes are no longer taken well, because he says it every year. Butler's comments confirm what fans have thought for a while, and that's the fact that Tomlin does whatever he can to keep his staff together, regardless of what happens on the football field.

Do you think the Steelers should be firing more coaches after each season? Let us know in the comments below!

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