Mike Tomlin departure must force Steelers to commit to full rebuild

Hired to replace Hall of Famer Bill Cowher after the 2006 season, the then-34-year-old Tomlin quickly proved up to the task, leading the franchise to its sixth Super Bowl title in just his second year at the helm. Led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and one of the league’s best defenses, the Steelers would remain a juggernaut for the first decade of Tomlin’s tenure, winning at least 11 games six times and making another Super Bowl appearance in 2010. 

Though Tomlin famously avoided a losing record during his entire Steelers tenure, the wheels slowly fell off during his second decade. The abrupt decline of Roethlisberger and the struggles of first-round pick Kenny Pickett sunk the offense, as the unit finished in the bottom 10 in total yards in each of Tomlin’s final seven seasons. 

A stout defense and a consistent ability to pull out close games allowed the Steelers to remain competent through the offensive struggles, but they were never serious Super Bowl contenders. Each of their five postseason appearances from 2020 to 2025 resulted in a double-digit wild-card loss, with the defense allowing an average of 35.8 points per game.

This season might have been the strangest of them all. A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers was brought in to play quarterback while the defense was both the oldest and the most expensive in the NFL. Both units ranked in the bottom 10 in total yards, but thanks in large part to injuries to Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, the Steelers were able to sneak into the playoffs with a 10-7 record, where they were promptly overmatched by a dominant Texans defense. 

As difficult as it may be for a franchise that has known nothing but success since the days of Chuck Noll, the departure of Tomlin should allow it to finally commit to a full rebuild. 

Why Steelers need to start from scratch

In retrospect, the Steelers probably should have pulled the plug once Roethlisberger called it quits after the 2021 season, but Tomlin’s ability to keep the team competitive forced them to keep pushing. They targeted over-the-hill defensive stars like Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey while extending homegrown stars Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt well into their thirties.

On offense, the Steelers brought in bridge quarterbacks like Rodgers and Russell Wilson, each of whom possessed enough veteran savvy to run a middle-of-the-pack offense, but they weren’t nearly good enough to compete with the AFC’s top signal-callers. They also made the ill-advised decision to trade for and promptly extend wide receiver DK Metcalf, who was suspended for the last two games of the regular season and had just two receptions in the wild-card game. 

Regardless of who they choose to replace Tomlin, the Steelers must recognize that another season pushing for mediocrity will do more harm than good. Part of the reason the Steelers lack young talent is that they are always picking in the second half of the first round, and another season hovering around the .500 mark may cost them an opportunity at a franchise quarterback in what is expected to be a loaded 2027 draft. 

This offseason is all about building for the 2027 and 2028 seasons rather than 2026. That means moving on from their high-priced defenders like linebacker Patrick Queen and exploring trades for both Watt and Metcalf. It means not attempting to re-sign Rodgers and instead taking a shot on a low-risk, high-reward option like Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis. 

With five picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Steelers finally have the opportunity to inject some youth into an aging and declining roster. After years of pushing their chips into the middle of the table, the departure of Tomlin gives the Steelers an excuse to take a step back and work toward building a roster that can achieve sustainable, long-term success.