Steelers reportedly had potential Mike Tomlin replacement in mind

Another year, another non-losing season for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, there's a difference between being a non-losing team and being a winning team.

The Steelers have hovered around .500 for way too many years under Tomlin's tutelage, and it's been almost a decade since their last playoff win.

That's why there have been so many rumors about his future with the organization, and while the Steelers rarely fire their coaches, some speculated Tomlin might want to walk away at some point.

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, even the team held some internal discussions about potentially finding his replacement.

The Steelers had internal discussions about Marcus Freeman

In her latest column, Russini revealed that the Steelers were among the teams keeping tabs on Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman:

"Though Freeman ultimately announced he’s staying at Notre Dame, there’s a strong belief around the league that this won’t be the last time his name is connected to NFL opportunities," Russini wrote. "The Giants, Titans and Browns all had internal discussions about Freeman, as did the Pittsburgh Steelers (in the event longtime coach Mike Tomlin decided to step away)."

The Steelers will close out the season with a winner-takes-all divisional matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.

Like with Tomlin, there has been speculation about John Harbaugh's future in Baltimore, so the stakes have never been higher.

Even if the Steelers keep Tomlin for a little longer, regardless of Sunday's outcome, the fact that the front office had doubts about whether he'd stay with the team makes it seem like the Tomlin era is inching closer to its conclusion.