Steelers' Mike Tomlin Blatantly Acknowledges His Team Has Legitimate Maturity Issues

A team like the Pittsburgh Steelers is only as good as its weakest link. In 2023, there have been several of those for Mike Tomlin's team. After a promising 7-4 start to the year, the group has lost three games in a row. The playoffs are no longer a sure thing and it's a legitimate possibility that the unit is watching the postseason from home. There are a plethora of issues with Tomlin's squad, but a major one has been a lack of discipline and maturity throughout the season. That continued on Saturday in a horrible 30-13 loss against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Steelers have lost four of their last five games and critics have been all over guys like George Pickens and Diontae Johnson for their lack of fire on the football field when things aren't going their way. There doesn't seem to be a clear leader on the team, especially on the offensive side of the ball, and Tomlin is finally admitting that there is currently a problem when it comes to maturity.

During his Week 16 press conference, he was grilled with questions about several different topics, but one of the more interesting things that came up was when a reporter inquired about the immaturity on the team and if Tomlin believes there is an issue in that department. 

"You know, we got dealing with adversity issues and sometimes that can be categorized as maturity issues, certainly," Tomlin stated.

For a guy like Tomlin, who often dodges questions and stays away from calling out players and coaches alike, he was very clear when touching on the idea that some growing up needs to be done within his locker room. It mainly falls on the offensive side of the ball, but overall, the Steelers are not playing football that aligns with the amount of talent they have on the roster.

A main play to recall in the loss against the Colts was when Pittsburgh was nearing a score. Jaylen Warren was bulldozing his way to the goal line, but was stopped short when a cornerback was able to tackle him. This would not have happened if Pickens made a simple block, something that he seemed to take pride in during his rookie season in 2022.

Many believe that Tomlin has lost the locker room and it seems like that may be true. However, Pickens seems to be one of the more immature players on the team and this was a concern from draft analysts as he was coming out of the University of Georgia. The question from the reporter was undoubtedly sparked by Pickens' recent actions and Tomlin did not shy away from admitting that maturity is lacking for the organization.

It's hard to pinpoint when the Steelers' tradition seemingly changed. One can guess that it was when Ben Roethlisberger left town and retired. Overall, the state of Pittsburgh's franchise seems different than in years past. Not many of the players seem like winning is at the top of their priority list. There are only a handful of guys who truly come off as if they care about the state of Steelers' football.

Steelers Must Rely On Their Few True Leaders Going Forward

Cameron Heyward, TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick might be the only three on the team that are playing as hard as they can on every down they are on the field. Some younger guys like Broderick Jones and Jaylen Warren can't be ignored, but it's a sad state of affairs when it's hard to think of players who are fully bought in. The final three weeks of the regular season are sure to bring more adversity and criticism, and the leaders of the group need to show up when they are needed the most.

Do you think the Steelers have maturity issues? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation