Bold claim: the Steelers may need a reset, and that includes Mike Tomlin. Since taking over in 2007, Tomlin has guided Pittsburgh for nineteen seasons, never recording a losing year, but he hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. With the current run of 6-6 after a 4-1 start, the question surfaces: is it time for a change?
Both the team and the coach might benefit from a fresh start or a strategic shakeup. Yet Tomlin doesn’t appear to be reacting to the current difficulties with the urgency many would expect. This calm could stem from a hard truth: the Steelers don’t often part ways with coaches. It’s almost a franchise hallmark. Since 1969, three head coaches have left their posts, and the organization typically keeps revenue flowing by maintaining stability, selling tickets, parking, and merchandise, even if performance wobbles season after season.
That complacency can creep in when a high salary guarantees job security. Tomlin earns about $16 million annually and has a Super Bowl title from his second year, making the prospect of a single tough season seem tolerable. He frames the discontent around a broader business reality: football is entertainment, and if the team isn’t winning, the product isn’t entertaining—even if the checks still clear.
This isn’t a personal jab at Tomlin; it’s a look at the structure the Steelers have built. Most NFL head coaches face a persistent risk: job termination. Tomlin’s track record and the franchise’s stability shield him from that pressure, creating a stagnation risk. As long as the franchise avoids outright disaster, Art Rooney II may not feel compelled to pull the trigger.
The bigger question is how fans perceive the situation. Is this a temporary dip, or a symptom of a deeper, longer-term issue? After nearly twenty years together in an NFL landscape characterized by high turnover, the Steelers and Tomlin may have fallen into a comfortable rut. They routinely win enough games to prevent a mutiny and generate ample revenue, which can dull urgency for change.
That might be the core dilemma: the organization has perhaps grown a bit too content, while the fan base craves something more than another one-and-done postseason appearance—if a postseason run even materializes this year. The longer fans continue showing up, the longer this pattern of nine seasons without a playoff win could persist.
