Getty Image / Sarah Stier
It was as big of an up-and-down year as there has been in Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s 17 years there. The Steelers got off to a hot start, were left for dead, and rallied down the stretch to make the playoffs yet again.
But, the season came to an end on Monday with yet another playoff exit losing 31-17 on the road to the Buffalo Bills. Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans are fed up with the lack of playoff success they feel is the franchise’s birthright.
Mike Tomlin obviously has his finger on the pulse of the fan base, and probably thinks it’s ridiculous that his job is in question. The Steelers roster is far from elite, but he keeps dragging it to seasons of .500 or better despite playing in a competitive division.
So, it makes sense as to why he was incredibly annoyed when he was asked after the game about his future. So annoyed, in fact, that he walked off.
Mike Tomlin, asked about his future after the #Steelers playoff loss, walks off the podium. pic.twitter.com/mHLyivdU0q
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) January 16, 2024
I don’t blame him. If someone looks at the Steelers roster and quarterback situation, along with owners that allegedly won’t spend big bucks on assistants, and says that Mike Tomlin is the problem, they don’t know ball.
Instead, Tomlin has been the one constant through seventeen straight years of .500 football or better, despite aging and mediocre quarterback play for most of it. Look around the league and see what poor quarterback play does to teams. But, Tomlin finds a way to make Pittsburgh relevant every year.
As it stands, Mike Tomlin only has one year left on his contract, but I expect a deal to get done for a contract extension this offseason.