Everyone knows about how the Pittsburgh Steelers have not had a losing season since before Ben Roethlisberger was drafted. Most of that time has been with Mike Tomlin as their head coach, who has been at the helm of the team for the last 17 years and counting. However, winning seasons are not enough for a large part of Steeler Nation, especially since they haven't won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
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Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark is amongst the group of past players that have come out and criticized Mike Tomlin in recent weeks.
Ryan Clark has been a big fan of Tomlin, especially since he won a Super Bowl while playing for him. However, he also believes that the "no losing season" grace period could be ending soon. While appearing on First Take, he spoke about how this team needs to finally make some noise in the postseason, and it starts with Tomlin.
"I don't think this is the year his streak ends, but I do think this is the year he has to prove to the entire world that he is the Hall of Fame coach I believe him to be. This team has meandered around the 9-8 level where they can either just leak into the playoffs or find a way to get a spot in the Wild Card, but he has to show that, whether it's Russell Wilson or it's Justin Fields [at starting quarterback], that this team can actually be a competitor."
The Steelers have always prided themselves as a team of excellence and the model organization that every team in the NFL should strive to be. Failing to win a playoff game in seven years is how a team can lose that moniker, and patience has been wearing thin across the board. Missing the playoffs or even being a free win for a true contender in the Wild Card game is no longer good enough.
Clark knows all about Tomlin's game, including what he can do when he's at his best. Tomlin will for sure make it to the Hall of Fame when he retires, but Clark is questioning if he can ever get to that level again. If he can't, especially with Art Rooney II starting to get impatient as well, then he could be seeing his final years in Pittsburgh. The standard needs to be raised, and 9-8 can no longer be the new norm.
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Mike Tomlin shrugs his shoulders at Steelers' Camp.
Steelers' Tomlin Is Lucky To Be On Such A Patient Team
Despite all the questions surrounding Tomlin, the Steelers still signed him to a three-year contract extension, which means he will stay in Pittsburgh until at least the end of the 2027 season. He has four seasons to prove that he is still an elite head coach, as well as the fact that he still has what it takes to win a Super Bowl like he did in the 2008 season.
Winning a Super Bowl does not guarantee job security in the modern NFL. Just four seasons removed from the dynasty ending, Bill Belichick was fired from the New England Patriots and couldn't get a job in the 2024 offseason. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles fired Doug Pederson just two years after they upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl. In fact, despite winning the NFC back in the 2022 season, Nick Sirianni is rumored to be on the hot seat for the Eagles already as well.
Don Wright / Associated Press
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin (left) and former New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick (right) shake hands with one another after a professional football game.
Winning seasons, or even snapping playoff droughts, are also not enough for many teams. Mike Mularkey was promptly fired after he broke the Tennessee Titans' 10-year playoff drought, and even won in the Wild Card round. The Chicago Bears fired Lovie Smith after a 10-6 season. Even at the very beginning of the Tomlin era, the then-San Diego Chargers fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season.
No team is as patient as the Steelers have been with Tomlin. However, their patience is being tested, and it could run thin if their playoff-win drought continues on. If Tomlin wants another contract extension with the Steelers, he will have to prove that mediocrity is not his calling card. He will have to win when it matters most: in the playoffs.
What do you think about Clark starting to lose patience with Tomlin? Can Tomlin win playoff games like he did when the team made two Super Bowls under him? Let us know in the comments below.
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