After Blasting Steelers Fans Rich Eisen Is Changing His Tune After Disgusting Performances

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin has become one of the better motivators in the NFL. It's led him to plenty of successful seasons in Pittsburgh, which includes exactly zero below .500 seasons. In his 17th season though, his seat may be warming up a bit. The Steelers have not only lost consecutive games, but they've both come against two-win squads. 

Both the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots are in the hunt for the No. 1 overall pick in April. To make matters worse, the two losses have come at home at Acrisure Stadium. NFL Network's Rich Eisen has been a defendant of Tomlin for awhile. Fans have called for Tomlin's job several times, which Eisen has quickly rebutted. After Thursday's loss to the Patriots, Eisen has opened his ears to the possibility of firing Tomlin after the 2023 season via The Rich Eisen Show.

"When I say that you're outta your friggin' minds, I totally would understand why you would have Tomlin fatigue, and I'm wondering if Tomlin has fatigue with Western Pennsylvania, too. You wanna see different results, I totally understand that. I totally get it... I guess let me downgrade my 'You're outta your friggin' minds,' but he and the Steelers have been out of a sticky situation before. Let's see what happens over the next final four games. But I hear you, Steeler fans," Eisen said on Friday.

Just days ago, Eisen bashed fans that were calling for Tomlin's job. As the longtime NFL analyst points out, any team in need of a head coach would be quick to reach out to Tomlin. Still, criticism is warranted, particularly after the most recent loss. Even Tomlin's longest defenders, including Eisen, are coming around on the idea. If you're a betting man however, it's unlikely that the Steelers brass comes together and fires Tomlin, at least after this season. 

Tomlin's contract does run through the end of the 2024 season, so they could simply let him stay next year and see how he does. There's no doubt that personnel has failed Tomlin over the last two weeks. It wasn't his fault that safety Damontae Kazee mistimed his jump and allowed a Patriots touchdown on Thursday evening. It's not his fault for the issues at quarterback either. 

What Should The Steelers Do With Their Coaching Staff This Offseason?

A lot of this circles back to the team's lack of preparation for games against lowly teams. It's been a theme for years now, and multiple players admitted that the team took the Cardinals lightly. That should never happen at the NFL level, and it all falls back on the head coach whether it's truly his fault or not. This goes without mentioning Tomlin's inability to put together elite coaching staffs over the years. 

At this point in the season, it's hard to imagine many coaches on this team that deserve to be back for the 2024 season. Matt Canada was already relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator, but we've seen the offense return to its old ways the past two weeks. After a promising Week 12 performance from the offense, they have since faltered. The trajectory of this team is discouraging, as they have failed to take advantage of a friendly schedule. Now at 7-6, if the Steelers miss the playoffs once again, there could be legitimate discussion on Tomlin's future this offseason.

Do you think the team should fire Tomlin after his 17th season with the team? If they did fire him, who would you want them to go after as his successor? Do you think ownership has the guts to make this kind of decision? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites, yinz!

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