The Pittsburgh Steelers concluded the 2024 NFL season without another victory in the playoffs, which has left the fan base in great disappointment. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers ultimately felt the pressure of snapping their playoff-win drought when they traveled to the division rival Baltimore Ravens' home stadium and got embarrassed. After eight consecutive seasons of no postseason wins, Tomlin's name continues to be called out and many think it's time for the organization to move on from him. However, some former players, like Jerome Bettis, don't believe Tomlin's head coaching position should be in jeopardy.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Cam Heyward ahead of a late-season 2024 clash with the Baltimore Ravens.
On Thursday, Bettis joined NFL Network's Good Morning Football and discussed a variety of topics. To no surprise, Bettis and the crew talked about the two most discussed conversations surrounding the franchise in Pittsburgh. Before being asked about the current quarterback situation with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, Kyle Brandt pointed out that neither former head coaches for the Steelers like Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, went longer than four years without a playoff win. In Bettis' response, he highlights the importance of having a solidified starting quarterback on your roster.
"Well, the one thing that you look at those other two guys, the one thing they had the majority of that time was a quarterback," Bettis said defending Tomlin. "But that's always the issue. You've got to find the quarterback and unfortunately the organization has not been able to come up with a great plan to get that quarterback in the building ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired."
Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have had Wilson, Fields, Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph all under center for multiple starts. Clearly, none of those guys were able to excel for the Steelers the way Roethlisberger once did, and the Steelers have paid the price.
"They're a victim of their success. Because they haven't had those losing seasons, they haven't been able to draft high to go and get that quarterback. So now, they're at the point of no return where they have to make a decision, if they like one of these quarterbacks, then they've got to put a package together and give some assets and resources away to go up and get the quarterback that they need because they know if they continue to do this, they're going to get the same results."
Tomlin and the Steelers' path to finding their future at quarterback will continue to be a concerning puzzle. It was clear that Tomlin was very optimistic about Wilson's capabilities as an older quarterback in the NFL, but he and the rest of the team showed no signs of being a championship caliber offense down the stretch. Additionally, although Fields may have a chance at being Pittsburgh's next quarterback (but with Tomlin refusing to re-insert him into the offense at any point), there doesn't seem to be a strong connection there.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers quarterbacks during practice before Week 6 against the Raiders in 2024.
The only quarterback that the Steelers currently have under contact for 2025 is backup Skylar Thompson. The rest of the quarterback room has yet to be filled by Tomlin and the Steelers, but decisions and moves are expected to be made soon. It's certainly a possibility that Pittsburgh selects a passer at some point during the upcoming NFL Draft in April, but how far into the draft remains to be seen. Bettis seems to be leaning towards the idea of trading up in the draft either this year or next year to find the franchise's future quarterback.
Steelers' Playoff Issues Go Far Beyond Instability At Quarterback Position
Although blaming the lack of talent they've had at quarterback in recent years seems like an easy way out, Pittsburgh's struggles for the past eight seasons are more than just that. The atrocious defensive performances in the playoffs have been a high point of discussion, along with the coaching staff concerns. Tomlin and the Steelers reported that the franchise will be making noticeable changes as they addressed the media to conclude the season, but the Steelers haven't made a single adjustment yet.
ESPN, courtesy of Omar Khan
Omar Khan and Dan Rooney celebrate Super Bowl XLIII.
What do you think the Steelers need to do about their critical concerns at quarterback? Does Bettis make a fair argument defending Tomlin's current playoff losing streak? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
#SteelerNation
