The Pittsburgh Steelers squandered away a chance to win the AFC North division Sunday on the road against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers will now have to quickly put that game in their rearview mirror and shift their attention to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18 in a winner-take-all matchup for the division and final AFC playoff spot. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has faced heavy criticism, which grew especially this year, which has many pondering his future if the Steelers were to lose this weekend and miss out on the postseason entirely. This week very well could be a pivotal time in Tomlin's career.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin ahead of a Week 6 clash with the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 season.
On Monday, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette held his weekly chat and provided some reactions to the loss. Batko was asked in the chat about the future of Tomlin and his thoughts on the situation, one everyone is magnifying now as the Steelers face the possibility of missing out on the playoffs. Batko provided a detailed answer on his thoughts into Tomlin's future with the Steelers and what owner Art Rooney II could do.
"Three things I will never predict when it comes to the Steelers until I see it with my own eyes: a losing season, a playoff win, Art Rooney II firing Mike Tomlin," Batko began. "HOWEVER ... 19 seasons in, I imagine he considers it on some level each year, whether he'd admit it or not. And the negativity that would come with losing these last two games to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2022, with a rookie QB and Matt Canada, and now having a future Hall of Famer at QB and a real OC? I wouldn't be stunned if he decides enough is enough."
The Steelers have been non-competitive of late in playoff games as it is. Missing the playoffs in 2025 would be a major blow to the relationship with the fans and Tomlin, especially as he was met with boos in the Steelers' Week 13 home loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Arron Anastasia / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin on the sideline during a brutal loss to the Buffalo Bills in 2025.
Things had changed temporarily, as the Steelers entered Week 17 on a three-game winning streak, before dropping the contest to the lowly Browns. Batko is not the only one to discuss the potential of Tomlin parting ways with the Steelers either, as Adam Schefter mentioned on Monday that he believes both Tomlin and Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh could be coaching their final games with their respective teams after lengthy tenures.
Steelers Desperate To Find Playoffs And Success
One thing that is similar to the Ravens and Steelers is that they enter Week 18 both desperate to make the playoffs and find success should they get in. The Steelers would benefit from not just winning on Sunday, but should they get in, winning a playoff game or two. It has long been talked about that the Steelers have gone almost a decade without winning a playoff game. Seeing this unfold is a large reason why there are now talks of Tomlin and the Steelers potentially parting ways, as fan frustration grows exponentially larger. The Steelers will be limping into this contest against Baltimore without wide receiver DK Metcalf, who will be serving the final game of his two-game suspension. They also will be without their massive tight end Darnell Washington, as he sustained a fracture in his arm Sunday and is expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) catching the football and running past a Detroit Lions defender in Week 16 on the road at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.
Do you think there is a chance Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers part ways if they lose to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18 at home? Do you think this could be a crucial moment for Team President and Owner Art Rooney II? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media pages!
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