Is Steelers' Mike Tomlin on the hot seat after latest offseason splash?

The Pittsburgh Steelers agreeing to acquire cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap on Monday represented yet another all-in offseason move for a Pittsburgh franchise that hasn't notched a playoff victory since the 2016 season.

During the latest edition of the "You Better You Bet" podcast, Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette addressed whether or not the club could show head coach Mike Tomlin the door in January 2026 if Tomlin once again fails to add another postseason win to his career resume. 

"When the Steelers and Mike Tomlin go their own ways, it's gonna be up to Mike Tomlin," Dulac insisted, as shared by Joe Clark of Steelers Depot. "Unless the bottom falls out, and the bottom hasn't fallen out, nor is it about to. So I think it's gonna be up to when he wants to leave, is when that's going to happen."

Tomlin signed a three-year contract extension in June 2024 that reportedly pays him roughly $16M per year. He inked that agreement before Pittsburgh suffered a wild-card playoff loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens in January and before Steelers general manager Omar Khan added Ramsey, Smith, 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver DK Metcalf to the roster. 

During a Tuesday appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" program, Steelers insider Brooke Pryor indicated people within the organization are no longer impressed by the fact that Tomlin has never had a losing season since he became Steelers head coach in 2007. 

"This team is out of patience," Pryor said about Pittsburgh, per Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot. "This is a team that is ready to win. ...You can say that they're all-in in trying to pursue a Super Bowl, but I look at this more in the context of they are all-in trying to break that streak of losing playoff games." 

Interestingly, neither Dulac nor Pryor completely slammed the door shut on the idea that a Steelers team that has employed just three head coaches since 1969 could move on from Tomlin if "the bottom falls out" and Pittsburgh's playoff-win drought extends for another year. It's also possible that Tomlin could decide he wants a break from coaching and doesn't want to be part of a franchise rebuild if things go poorly for Pittsburgh during the upcoming campaign and Rodgers retires during the winter.