There has been plenty of speculation for months about the future of Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
Some have posited that Tomlin might be fired if the Steelers don’t make the playoffs. Their postseason fate will be in the balance on Sunday night when they host the Baltimore Ravens in a winner-take-all game for the AFC North title at Acrisure Stadium.
Others have theorized that Tomlin will resign or retire regardless of how the season ends, moving on after 19 years with the Steelers.
The first bit of evidence that the Steelers are at least thinking about life after Tomlin comes from a report by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on Saturday. She writes that the Steelers vetted Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman as a possible successor to Tomlin. Earlier this week, Freeman agreed to stay at Notre Dame after his contract was restructured.
The Steelers are 9-7 going into their regular-season finale and would win their first division title since 2020 if they beat or tie the Ravens. Yet it’s been an up-and-down season.
The season started off well as the Steelers won four of their first five games following an offseason filled with splash moves. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was signed as a free agent, and the Steelers traded for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf and Miami Dolphins defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
Yet the Steelers lost five of their next seven games following the strong start, dropping their record to 6-6. With their season seemingly on the brink, the Steelers upset the Ravens in Baltimore on Dec. 7 to take sole possession of first place in the AFC North.
That began a three-game winning streak that put the Steelers on the doorstep of the division title. They could have clinched with a win over the lowly Cleveland Browns last week, but lost 13-6. Instead, the Steelers must win or tie on Sunday night.
Tomlin has a career regular-season record of 192-114-2 and is tied with Hall of Famer Chuck Noll for most wins in franchise history. The Steelers have also never had a losing season during Tomlin’s tenure. However, the Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season.