In what's been an all-too-familiar result for the team in recent seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers' season ended on Monday night with a lopsided first-round loss. NFL observers couldn't help but wonder what the loss meant for the future of longtime head coach Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh.
Tomlin, famously, has never had a losing season since taking over from Bill Cowher in 2007. He's won eight AFC North crowns, led the Steelers to the playoffs 13 times, won Super Bowl XLIII after the 2008 season and reached Super Bowl XLV two years later. But Monday's loss marked the seventh consecutive playoff loss for Tomlin and the Steelers, a streak that dates back to the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots following the 2016 season. All but one of those losses were by double digits, including Monday's 30-6 drubbing at the hands of the Houston Texans.
So, despite his success, there were plenty of people calling for his job on Monday night.
"Mike Tomlin is about to be 0-7 in his last 7 playoff games… it might be time," one person said on X, formerly Twitter.
"I'm leaving," another fan said in a video while leaving Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium. "Until they fire Mike Tomlin, I'm done. We'll never win s***."
During the game, an ESPN graphic showed that Tomlin's six-straight playoff losses were one off the all-time record held by Marvin Lewis, a record Tomlin now shares. Posting that graphic, one X user said, "Mike Tomlin is just Marvin Lewis now."
"Mike Tomlin is now 8-12 in the playoffs. Hasn't won a playoff game in 10 years. Hasn't been to a SB in 15, hasn't won one in 18. But hey! He finished with a winning record! That's what matters right?" A frustrated fan noted.
The Steelers, notably, have had only three coaches since hiring Chuck Noll in 1969. So, it's not as though the Pittsburgh front office is quick to fire coaches. That said, given the lack of progress so many observers detailed, it's also fair to wonder if the Steelers might be in need of a new voice.