Steelers May Have No Choice With Mike Tomlin

The Pittsburgh Steelers have put all of their eggs in the 2025 basket. They want to win now, and they clearly have Super Bowl on their mind heading into the season. With blockbuster trades for DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith, and the addition of Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, this team is gearing up for one big-time run this season. And if it doesn't work out, it may finally be the end of their head coach.

The noise surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason wasn't great. There was frustrated fans heading into the spring after the team suffered another playoff loss, bringing their consecutive seasons without a playoff win to eight.

That frustration, which may have been the loudest in many years, only seemed to grow when the team missed on Justin Fields and then waited three months to be able to sign Aaron Rodgers. The entire time, many were calling for the job of Mike Tomlin, who they believed was forcing the Steelers to wait for the quarterback he wanted and ultimately hurting the team.

Well, Tomlin got his quarterback. He also got his wide receiver, his cornerback and his tight end that may end up being WR2.

The Steelers, on paper, look better than they have in a long time. They don't have many holes outside of extending T.J. Watt and finding (maybe) another wide receiver. And if you were going to predict that they went on a playoff run any of the last eight years, this would be the one.

Which means that if they don't, it looks so much worse.

If the Steelers end up missing the playoffs. If they end up with Tomlin's first losing record. If they just fail to win a playoff game once again, the noise may finally become to loud. And for the first time in 20 years, the calls for Tomlin's job may have to be listened to.

Would the Steelers fire their head coach two years after giving him a contract extension? No. But they would certainly add some heat to his seat, which has never happened to this point.

The Steelers are in a spot where they must win. They've put too much effort into doing so. And if they don't, there are no excuses as to why.

It's the first time in Tomlin's tenure that a change at head coach might actually make sense. The first time that the Steelers would have no reason to deny that their head coach isn't capable of getting the job done no matter how much you give him.

2025 is now a do-or-die season Pittsburgh's head coach. The first one he's ever faced.