Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has found himself in an unusual position this season. Despite the team being 8-6 and leading the AFC North, Steelers fans have called for Tomlin's job.
That fervor reached a point where one of the Steelers' recent icons and a former player whom Tomlin coached even seemed on board with the idea. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger seemed to be on board with Tomlin's exit after Week 13. On his podcast, Roethlisberger said, "Maybe it's a clean-house time." He said he respected Tomlin, but that the move might be "best for him, too."
When asked about those comments Monday ahead of his Steelers Hall of Fame induction, Roethlisberger attempted to walk them back, saying Tomlin should decidewhether he wants to move on, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
"Just because I said there's a time for some new things, that's just saying that I think Coach Tomlin — if he wants to move on, he has every right to move on, it's not they should," Roethlisberger said Monday night before the Steelers' 28-15 win over the Miami Dolphins. "It's up to him, and he's earned that right. If he wants to do something else, he can and he should and we should honor him whenever that time comes. Maybe he wants to coach here for another 10 years, that's fine too."
Roethlisberger made those comments before theSteelers picked up a 28-15 winover the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. With the victory, the Steelers (8-6) retained their lead on the AFC North and sit in the No. 4 seed in the postseason. After Week 15, the teamhas a 61 percent chance of making the playoffs, per NFL.com.
Getting into the postseason hasn't been the main issue in Pittsburgh. Tomlin has famously never posted a season below .500, and has made the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons. But success in the postseason has been spotty in recent years. Since 2017, the Steelers are 0-5 in playoff games. While the team has typically posted strong defenses during that stretch, its offenses have generally left a lot to be desired, and that's been exposed in the postseason.
Longtime NFL veteran Aaron Rodgers was supposed to change that this season. Rodgers isn't in his prime anymore, but has made a positive impact on the team's offense. The Steelers rank 13th in points scored this season and are averaging nearly two more points per game compared to last season. That's not a major upgrade, but it has made a difference.
None of that will matter if the Steelers experience yet another early exit in the playoffs. Despite Tomlin's success, frustration seems to have hit a high point among fans — and maybe even some former players.
There's no indication Tomlin wants to leave, or that he would be fired if the team washes out of the playoffs early, but the fact that there's even chatter about the possibility speaks to things being different in Pittsburgh this year ... even if the team is headed for a similar result.
