The Pittsburgh Steelers are led by one of the best coaches in the NFL in Mike Tomlin, however the fan base has largely grown tired of him. Tomlin has done a great job at keeping the Steelers in playoff contention over the years regardless of who is on the roster, but the constant mediocrity is growing old in Pittsburgh. Many thought after another first-round exit in the playoffs to end the 2024 season, the organization might consider moving on from Tomlin, but that is not the case. No wholesale changes have been made on the coaching staff, and the Steelers will move forward as Tomlin looks to secure his 19th consecutive non-losing season.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin ahead of a 2024 home game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tomlin's teams consistently finish above where they should, but it is still extremely frustrating for the fanbase to continue to cheer on mediocrity. It is like a cycle every season. Clinch a non-losing season, barely make the playoffs, lose, get stuck picking in the last half of the first round of the NFL Draft. Every season, it is the same result.
Team insider Brooke Pryor recently went on the Shek Show with Dave Dameshek where she spoke about the 2024 season. She shared some thoughts on Tomlin, and whether or not he can still be effective at his job.
"Mike Tomlin's biggest problem and the organization's biggest problem is that for a guy who wants his brand to be, 'We don't seek comfort. I don't seek comfort', he is too comfortable. The Steelers are too comfortable." Pryor said. "They're too comfortable in doing things the way they've always been done and giving the same message every year."
The Steelers have constantly been criticized for refusing to change. It is hard to find a way in which the team has adapted over the last several seasons, and other teams in the NFL are constantly passing them by. It is almost as thought the Steelers are a decade or two behind the rest of the league, as their concepts and philosophies are all played out. Tomlin has been nothing but a hypocrite over the last several years, as nothing has changed while the struggles continue.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on after big win over the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2024 season.
There is no doubting that Tomlin is a great leader of men, and he can be a great motivator as well. However, it is clear he needs some help with the football side of things. He is far too involved with the offense and the defense, and the Steelers don't have nearly as many assistants as other teams around the league.
Some teams hire passing game coordinators, meanwhile the Steelers refuse bring in a young mind to attack that position. Instead the organization has offensive assistants that work in that role. Pryor continued to speak on the Steelers living off of their past success.
"It's being comfortable in, 'We've had all this success. And it's worked before, so it's gonna work again.' But the 'before' is getting farther and farther away." Pryor said. "No one is really challenging him or has the ability to challenge him. So he just keeps becoming more and more insulated."
In order for the Steelers to have any form of success moving forward, Tomlin needs to be able to take a step back. Still be a motivator and still hold the title of head coach, but bring in quality coaches around him that can control the football side of things. His winning formula is no longer viable in today's NFL.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on during a snowy game in Cleveland during the 2024 season.
Steelers' Tomlin's Shortcomings Can No Longer Be Ignored
Tomlin is often times defended by some saying that he gets his team to outperform their expectations, or that his roster isn't good enough to win as many games as it does. That's great that Tomlin still gets to nine or ten wins every year, but he plays a major role in building the roster. Tomlin has been the head coach for 18 seasons, he may not have the title of general manager, but he is calling a decent amount of the shots.
It is hard to imagine this organization being successful with the way things are currently set up. Success is probably far, far away, and a serious rebuild should be coming in the next couple of seasons.
What do you think about Pryor's comments on Tomlin? Let us know in the comments below!
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