Last year, we saw Mike Tomlin lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 10-7 record, earning a Wild Card playoff berth. While their playoff berth was unexpected after falling to 7-7, there were many parts throughout the season where outside noise suggested either Pittsburgh could move on from Tomlin or that the coach could seek to land with another team.
Yet, once Tomlin avoided the first losing season of his 17-year NFL head coaching career, all talks about the Pittsburgh coach’s future disappeared.
Now, a former Steelers alumni who once played for Tomlin and even won Super Bowl XLIII with him says the Steelers head coach “should be on the hot seat” entering the 2024 season.
“When you talk about his overall record, you talk about in 17 seasons, he has an 8-10 playoff record, only four seasons with playoff wins and he’s had some bonafide teams even with Ben Roethlisberger. The issue with Mike Tomlin right now is he wins games he’s supposed to win, but he loses games he shouldn’t lose. Go back to this year. He lost to the New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals. Had no business losing those games. And now Steeler Nation is frustrated. Because they’re looking at an organization right now that is well above average, and then they lose bonehead games. I’m saying to myself, well, who are the Pittsburgh Steelers? Are they the bullies, or are they the dweebs right now? If you lost to the Patriots and the Cardinals, you look like the dweebs.”
Former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Willie Colon on Mike Tomlin’s job security
Now that the Steelers have revamped their offense with Russell Wilson leading the way, expectations are even higher in Pittsburgh entering the 2024 season. While it seems weird to say Tomlin will be on the hot seat, if he fails to get more out of the Steelers this season, he could very well find his seat heating up as the year goes on.
