It's the same old story every year—the Pittsburgh Steelers do just enough during the offseason to fill in the roster gaps and keep their head above water for another year. But this year might finally come with consequences if the team doesn't produce postseason success, and head coach Mike Tomlin might already be on the hot seat.
On Monday, Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker wrote an article outlining 10 head coaches on the hot seat entering the 2025 season, and Tomlin made the list.
"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," Locker wrote on PFF. "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?"
In addition to mentioning their perennial mediocre finishes, Locker pointed out the fact that the Steelers haven't won a playoff game since 2016.
"If Tomlin and Pittsburgh fail to win a playoff contest yet again," Locker continued, "Steelers fans' complaints will only grow louder, prompting discussion about whether it’s time to move on from one of the league’s most well-respected leaders."
He's not wrong. The grumblings have been growing steadily for years now, and they'll be as loud as ever if the Steelers fall short again in 2025.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin deserves to be on the hot seat in 2025
We can talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers' streak of non-losing seasons until we're blue in the face, but at some point, being a respectable regular-season team is no longer enough. The Pittsburgh Steelers have just three playoff wins over the past 14 years, and none of these have come within the past eight seasons.
Team president Art Rooney II knows he could have a riot on his hands if this keeps up. Another 9-8 or even 10-7 finish should not ensure that Tomlin remains the Steelers' head coach in 2026 and beyond.
While the national media loves to come to Tomlin's defense, they don't take into account the fact that he's created the situation around him. Tomlin is responsible for hiring his coaching staff, and we just witnessed a combined seven years of offensive coordinators Randy Fichtner, Matt Canada, and Arthur Smith. In January, ESPN's Brooke Pryor called out Tomlin for his abuse of unchecked power."
Even the league's most expensive defense has continually gone downhill since a peak season in 2019. Despite investing more on this side of the ball than any team in the league, the Steelers lack an elite defense, as they finished 18th in EPA and 30th in success rate since Week 10 of the 2024 season, per PFF.
How much mediocrity can one fan base take? The water keeps building up, and the dam is about to break.
Even after signing a three-year contract extension last offseason, Mike Tomlin's job should be far from safe because of the blatant lack of postseason success. His place on the list of hot seat candidates is not only warranted, it's long overdue.
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