NFL insider drops eye-opening take on Mike Tomlin's Steelers future
Speculation has continued to grow regarding Mike Tomlin’s future with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are on the verge of missing out on the playoffs for the second straight year. Overall, Pittsburgh has not notched a 10-win season since the 2020 campaign, and it has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season. No […]
Speculation has continued to grow regarding Mike Tomlin’s future with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers are on the verge of missing out on the playoffs for the second straight year. Overall, Pittsburgh has not notched a 10-win season since the 2020 campaign, and it has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season.
No one within the Steelers organization has touched on Tomlin’s future with the team, whether the longtime head coach himself or team owner Art Rooney II. Still, it has not stopped many from questioning whether Tomlin could soon be on his way out of Pittsburgh.
For one, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer speculated during his weekly mailbag column that the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Commanders could be viable fits for Tomlin should the Steelers decide to part ways with him after this season.
"Say Carolina’s David Tepper or Washington’s Josh Harris — both former minority owners in Pittsburgh — call Art Rooney and suggest a trade," Breer wrote. "Say they’re willing to part with a first-round pick and more. Say Rooney says he has to think about it, and then goes to Tomlin with the idea — after missing the playoffs (again, hypothetically) for a fourth time in six years.
“Wouldn’t Rooney have to discuss that with Tomlin? Both owners would likely pay top dollar for him. Both teams are in relatively close proximity to where Tomlin grew up in Hampton, Va. And if you have that conversation, where does it go? There are a lot of questions about the quarterback the Steelers took two years ago. Recent white flags waved by George Pickens and Diontae Johnson in games seem to run counter to what Tomlin has built. I think it’s possible that conversation leads to the conclusion that, after 17 years, it’s simply time."
The Panthers will be on the lookout for a permanent head coach during the offseason, while the Commanders reportedly plan to "evaluate" Ron Rivera after the ongoing season.
Tomlin is under contract with the Steelers for a mere one more year.
Steelers chances at Christmas miracle go up in smoke following latest news
Here is the latest on the status of multiple starters ahead of Steelers-Bengals.
