Could This Be Mike Tomlin’s Last Game as Steelers Head Coach?
Mike Tomlin has led the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2007. He is the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, he won a Super Bowl, and he has never posted a losing season. Those facts once made him untouchable. They no longer carry the same weight.
The Steelers must measure success by championships and playoff wins. Not stability, not respectability, not winning records. The lack of playoff success has finally caught up to Tomlin. Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens could define his future in Pittsburgh.
Lack of Playoff Success Under Mike Tomlin
The numbers are hard to defend. The Steelers have not won a playoff game in eight years. That drought will extend to nine if they fail to beat Baltimore on Sunday. That reality alone changes the conversation. Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers have produced only three playoff wins in the last fourteen years. Those wins came against AJ McCarron, Alex Smith, and Matt Moore. None were elite quarterbacks. None posed a serious championship threat.
The Steelers do not fire coaches quickly. They value patience. That philosophy built their reputation. At some point, patience turns into complacency. Championships require urgency, and Pittsburgh has lacked it for years.
A Pattern of Postseason Failure
This issue stretches beyond one season. It defines an entire era. The Steelers reach the playoffs. They rarely advance. They fail to adjust, they fail under pressure, and Tomlin’s defense collapses. Playoff football exposes weaknesses. The Steelers continue to show the same ones. Poor discipline. Slow starts. Missed opportunities. Those flaws reflect coaching. Not luck.
The standard in Pittsburgh demands more, and fans seem to want change regardless of whether they win a playoff game this season or not.
League Buzz Around Tomlin’s Future
The speculation has moved beyond fan frustration. League insiders now acknowledge the possibility of change. Adam Schefter addressed the situation on the Pat McAfee Show yesterday. Schefter said it is in the realm of possibility that Tomlin leaves the Steelers with a loss on Sunday. He mentioned television as an option next season. He also noted Tomlin could coach elsewhere in 2026. That type of report carries weight. Insiders do not speculate publicly without reason. The league senses a shift.
Failing When the Moment Matters
The most frustrating part of the Tomlin era comes in games the Steelers must win. Last week offered a perfect example. Pittsburgh faced the Cleveland Browns at 3-12. A win would have positioned the Steelers to win the division and rest their starters in week 18. That loss looks worse every day. It fits a disturbing pattern. The Steelers struggle against bad teams when the stakes favor them.
Pittsburgh is winless at 0-4 and 1 in its last five games against teams entering eight games below .500. That ties the longest such streak in NFL history.
2020 loss to a 2-10-1 Cincinnati Bengals team
2021 tie against a 0-8 Detroit Lions team
2023 loss to a 2-10 Arizona Cardinals team
2023 loss to a 2-10 New England Patriots team
2025 loss to a 3-12 Cleveland Browns team
Elite teams do not do this. Championship coaches do not allow it.
This can very well be Mike Tomlin’s last game as Steelers head coach. A loss to Baltimore would eliminate Pittsburgh and cost them the division. The Hall of Fame resume will remain impressive, but the results no longer justify the job. The Steelers face a choice. Protect stability or chase greatness. Sunday night may force their answer.
Main Photo: [Scott Galvin] – Imagn Images