Steelers Organizational Goals Questioned In A Whopping Wake Up Call From Unlikely Source

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been standing at a crossroads since Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending injury in 2019. Pittsburgh’s Killer B era was over, and the Steelers had one AFC Championship game loss to show for it. Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin did not punt on the season and put themselves in a position to draft a successor to Roethlisberger. Instead, they traded their first-round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins. 

The 2019 team ended up 8-8 and nearly made the playoffs with Mason Rudolph and Devlin “Duck” Hodges leading the way. The Steelers' brain trust elected to tread water and wait for the return of Roethlisberger essentially. It almost worked. The Steelers started 11-0 and looked like a serious contender in the AFC. However, Pittsburgh collapsed and ultimately lost their third straight playoff game after falling behind the Cleveland Browns 28-0. Tomlin promoted Matt Canada to offensive coordinator, and the Steelers have been in a downward spiral on offense ever since.

On Tuesday, The Pod Me Up podcast, which features Trai Essex and Rich "Rody" Rodawalt on SteelerNation.com's YouTube channel, welcomed CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala to the program. Kinkhabwala has covered the AFC North extensively during her time with the NFL Network and CBS Sports. Unlike many in the national media who have been singing the praises of Tomlin and berating Steeler Nation for wanting a change, Kinkhabwala had pointed criticisms of the organization as a whole. 

"It's hard to be relevant every single December," Kinkhabwala said. "At some point, what is your standard? I've lived in this city now [Pittsburgh] for 12 or 13 years. He [Tomlin] says, 'We are hunting Lombardi's. The standard is the standard.' Okay, so a winning season isn't enough for you. You are the Pittsburgh Steelers."

The point that many people outside of Pittsburgh fail to understand when Tomlin finds himself on the hot seat is that fans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the "standard" trope. It was an endearing "Tomlinism" when he was winning playoff games nearly a decade ago. It is a pain point in the fan base in 2023.

The Steelers drafted poorly for nearly a decade under Colbert. Omar Khan and Andy Weidl are off to a promising start. Still, many of the impressive rookies they brought in were held back initially by the current coaching staff despite clearly being the best option on the roster at their position. 

"Your goal is winning in the playoffs, not winning in the regular season," Kinkhabwala continued. "Your goal is getting those trophies. If you haven't won a playoff game in seven years and you're not anywhere close to any of those trophies, then really, what good is it? Who are you, and what is your goal?"

The CBS sideline reporter is jumping up and down on the generational fault line in Steeler Nation. Younger fans and many in the national media can't understand why older fans and many in the local press are so frustrated with .500 seasons and first-round exits. The future of the Steelers organization will be decided by what side Art Rooney II lands on. 

"Is your goal the playoffs? Is your goal a non-losing season," Kinkhabwala asked. "Or is your goal winning a Lombardi trophy?"

The Steelers went to one playoff game in the first 39 years of their existence, a 21-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1972, they began an epic run of success in the postseason. The Steelers were 28-17 in the playoffs with five Super Bowl championships under Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher from 1969-2006. 

Tomlin began his postseason career by winning five of his first seven playoff games and a sixth Lombardi Trophy. The Steelers' playoff record ballooned to an impressive 33-19, with more Super Bowl trophies than any other organization. Since losing Super Bowl XLVI, Pittsburgh has gone 3-8 over the last 12 seasons, including five consecutive blowout losses. 

"I think that whole non-losing season thing is starting to fall on deaf ears, and people are getting tired of it," Essex replied. "It's been seven seasons since we won a playoff game. Former player, won a Super Bowl with Coach Tomlin love him to death, but he's not above reproach."

The deep divide in Steeler Nation is that too many fans and members of the national press consider Tomlin deserving of the Coach Emeritus title of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is worth repeating to fans who only began rooting for the Steelers in the 21st century that since the Immaculate Reception, Pittsburgh has only had seven losing seasons in 51 years. 

17 years does not have to be the end. Tomlin could do what Noll did and allow the organization to gut his staff and pick the replacements. He could also walk away before a contract dispute turns ugly. It was rumored to be at least a significant portion of the reasoning along with the health of his former wife when Cowher walked away in 2006. 

Steelers' Mike Tomlin Abandons Press Conference When Questioned About His Future

Tomlin's histrionics when he abandoned the post-game press conference on Monday aside, he may be coming to grips with the fact that his time in Pittsburgh is running out. The Steelers' Head Coach's professed standard in Pittsburgh is not winning nine games out of 17 and getting blown out in the first round of the AFC playoffs. 

Tomlin has an opportunity to depart on his own terms, with his legacy mostly intact. That is the standard for how Noll and Cowher chose to move on when their time in Pittsburgh came to an end. Will Tomlin put his money where his mouth has been for nearly two decades and live up to it? 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Have the Steelers lowered their expectations as an organization? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq. 

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