The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a frustrating team to be a fan of over the last decade or so. The team has been nothing but mediocre over that period, and the consistent playoff appearances are essentially meaningless as the Steelers have time after time gotten blown out in the postseason. A playoff game has not been won since the 2016 campaign, which has had many people in and around Pittsburgh extremely frustrated. Fans have calling for Head Coach Mike Tomlin's job for years now, but it doesn't seem like the day will ever come when Pittsburgh fires its current coach.
Benjamin B. Braun / Post-Gazette
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin looks on during a snowy game in Cleveland during the 2024 NFL season.
Tomlin is still one of the better head coaches in the NFL, but some have speculated that his message has grown stale within the Steelers' locker room. The results have just not been there in recent years, although it can be argued that it has been pretty impressive the way he has been able to bring some underwhelming teams to the doorstep of the postseason.
Talks about his job security go on throughout the regular season, and they definitely pickup once the offseason rolls around. Wide receiver Calvin Austin III was asked about how the team views some people calling for Tomlin's job during an interview on ESPN Radio. He put cold water on any idea that he and his teammates worry about that.
"We definitely, as a team, ignore that one." Austin said. "When the coach comes in that Wednesday morning and outlines how the exact game is gonna go, what's their offensive coordinator's mindset, what's their defensive coordinator's mindset, what they're gonna do on special teams to try and beat us, and the game goes exactly like that, we can't come in and be like, 'I don't know.' He literally told us how it was gonna be. He's giving us the game. At that point, it's on us about executing. I feel like that's he last thing we think about because we have that trust in Coach that he's gonna have us ready."
There is some genius in Tomlin. No coach accidentally coaches in the NFL, with the same team, for 18, going on 19 seasons. There is so much turnover at the head coach position, and while the Steelers are one of the more loyal franchises, it is still impressive when recognizing how much Tomlin has been able to accomplish in his career.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin on the field before facing the Cleveland Browns in Week 12 of the 2024 season.
Tomlin is well known for never having a losing seasons in the NFL, and also leading his teams to overachieving. That was a fun gimmick for fans to look at about seven seasons ago, but now fans want results, which has led to the increase in frustration. The AFC is extremely competitive, but Pittsburgh just needs to see some hope. As of now, Tomlin can't lead the Steelers past the first round of the playoffs, and until he proves otherwise the fan base is going to want him gone.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on during a Week 13 game against the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2024 regular season.
Steelers Players Will Likely Never Give Up On Mike Tomlin
The fan base and certain members of the media will continue to trash Tomlin, but his players will always have his back. Players speak up for him every single year whenever things start to go south, and the Steelers are usually able to make some additions during the offseason, and the additions always speak about how much of an honor it is to be able to play for him.
Tomlin is the ultimate players coach, but fans want to feel like their team has what it takes to win the Super Bowl. Right now, it is hard to feel that way about Pittsburgh. Tomlin has done a good job, but he might not be the right guy for the team if the organization has to thrust itself into a rebuild at some point in the near future.
What do you think about Austin's comments on Tomlin? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
