The Pittsburgh Steelers have a pivotal matchup coming up in Week 18 as the team will be hosting the Baltimore Ravens in a game that will decide the AFC North. It is essentially a playoff game. The loser's season is over, while the winner is the champion of the division and will host a playoff game on Wild Card Weekend. Both coaches are the two longest-tenured coaches in the league, and fans on both sides have expressed extreme displeasure with the coaching staffs. There has been speculation that the losing team might be forced to consider making some changes, but only time will tell.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin shakes hands with John Harbaugh after beating the Ravens during the 2024 season.
Games between the Steelers and Ravens are always going to be intense, but the stakes going into this contest are extremely high. The Steelers had a chance to clinch the division in Week 17. All the team had to do was beat the Cleveland Browns, but the Steelers blew that opportunity and got upset by the Browns on the road. Now Pittsburgh has put themselves in a tough spot as the franchise needs to take down Baltimore for a second time during the 2025 season.
The playoff implications are huge, but so are the potential coaching changes for the loser of this game. Fans want to see change on both sides, but ESPN's Dan Graziano does not think any sort of change is guaranteed.
"That chatter is out there, but I've heard nothing from inside either building to indicate either team is contemplating a change," Graziano wrote. "Most of the speculation seems to stem from fan discontent, and neither the Steelers nor the Ravens are the type of organization to make compulsive decisions based on fan discontent."
Graziano states that there is nothing going on inside either building to suggest that one of the franchises will consider a major coaching change if that side's season comes to an end on Sunday. It is just the sound of unhappiness from each fan base, which is only going to grow louder and louder if things continue to remain the same.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin on the sideline during a brutal loss to the Buffalo Bills in 2025.
Fans have been calling for Head Coach Mike Tomlin's job after the last few seasons. The fan base is tired of mediocrity, while some fans can appreciate the fact that the coach has kept the franchise "competitive" while going through some tough years. In Baltimore, fans have also grown tired of John Harbaugh. Blown leads have happened far too often for the Ravens, and speculation has built that the coach has a rocky relationship with franchise quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Graziano wrote more about how a coaching change is not expected for either franchise.
"That said, one of those teams is going to miss the playoffs and the other is going to be the weakest team in the AFC playoff field," Graziano wrote. "The Ravens had the very highest of hopes for this season, and the Steelers always expect to contend. So there will be disappointment to be addressed in both places. Count me among those who would be extremely surprised if Tomlin and Harbaugh aren't back in their current jobs next season. But I don't believe either organization has had real conversations yet about the future of their respective coaches."
If the team beats Baltimore and sneaks into the postseason, fans are just going to be expecting another playoff beatdown, which has been the case the last four times the franchise clinched a spot.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin stands on the field and watches his team practice during a 2025 training camp workout at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers Fans May Only Have A Couple Years Left With Mike Tomlin
Tomlin is under contract through 2027, but the final year of that deal has an option attached to it that the organization must decide on by March 1st of the 2026 offseason. If the option is not picked up, Tomlin's deal expires following the 2026 season. Tomlin might not be fired after the 2025 season, but the organization could also avoid taking a step to keep him in town any longer than he is contractually obligated to be. A denial of the final year of his deal paired with the lack of an extension would be a the next best thing for fans who want Tomlin out.
What do you think about Tomlin's job security? Let us know in the comments below!
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