The Pittsburgh Steelers lost in spectacular fashion to the Buffalo Bills, dropping to 6-6 on the season with a final score of 26-7. Now, the Steelers have lost their first-place status in the AFC North to the fellow 6-6 Baltimore Ravens.
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Something is clearly off about the Steelers, and fans were certainly fed up with the way the team played against the Bills. Though Pittsburgh fans are generally very loyal, chants for “Fire Tomlin” broke out during the game.
Tomlin addressed the chants, stating, “Man, I share their frustrations tonight. We didn’t do enough. That’s just the reality of it.”
Despite Tomlin’s self-awareness, there could be more wrong with the Steelers team. In 2024, they barely limped into the playoffs but were defeated in the Wild Card Round.
The Steelers have managed to make the playoffs in four of their last five seasons, but have been eliminated immediately.
Signs could point to a sort of stagnation under Tomlin, which resulted in fans calling for his job. Now, devout Steelers fan and analyst Stephen A. Smith has joined the fray, stating that a huge change needs to happen.
“It’s time. It’s over. I know that’s a bit shocking for most people to hear, especially coming from me, a Steelers fan. Who loves me some Mike Tomlin. I have loved and admired him for years. I am in no way implying that this man is not a head coach, is not a quality head coach, not a Hall of Fame head coach. I’m not trying to imply that at all. I am quite sure that the minute he is gone from Pittsburgh, there will be at least 20 teams that will want him, and deservedly so. This is about Pittsburgh,” Smith said.
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Smith then asks a simple question of his co-hosts: if any other coach would not have won a playoff game since 2016, what would happen? His somewhat rhetorical question essentially begs the answer that Tomlin not having success in such a long time is the chief reason he should be let go.
Smith has a point in most organizations often move off coaches who cannot get results. Andy Reid is a good example. He fell stagnant with the Philadelphia Eagles, and then moved to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he is a multiple Super Bowl winner.
Tomlin is a future Hall of Fame head coach, but right now, he appears not to be the right man for Pittsburgh anymore. They may get into the playoffs, but they might also miss their window if they continue to lose in the manner they did against the Bills.
Tomlin would easily be picked up by another team as their head coach, and a change of scenery might also benefit him. Either way, the Steelers fans chanting might grow louder if the team does not rebound in the coming weeks.
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