3 NFL pretenders that should save Mike Tomlin from angry Steelers mob

This time last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers were coming off a resounding Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, and calls for Mike Tomlin to lose his job were growing louder (from some corners of the fan base, at least). Never mind that Tomlin had managed to get a team quarterbacked by Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky to the playoffs at all, or that he hadn't suffered a single losing season in over 15 years at the helm in Pittsburgh. The Steelers hadn't won a playoff game since 2016, and fans were getting restless.

12 months, one offensive coordinator change and two different starting quarterbacks later, we find ourselves ... well, pretty much in the exact same spot. The Steelers looked like one of the pleasant surprises of the 2024 season, getting out to a 10-3 start behind a typically ferocious defense and a revitalized Russell Wilson. There were red flags under the hood, however, and sure enough, the bottom has fallen out in recent weeks: Saturday night's home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was the team's fourth straight, and they'll now limp into a road game against either the Texans or Ravens on Wild Card weekend.

It sure looks like this team is headed straight toward another first-round exit. And just like last year, the blame is falling squarely on Tomlin.

You can understand why Steelers fans are frustrated; it's been nearly a decade since the team got out of the Divisional Round, and almost 15 years since Tomlin has been to the Super Bowl. It's hard to avoid the feeling that things have stagnated a bit.

What's less easy to understand, though, is why exactly that should be Tomlin's fault. He's one of the most consistent winners in NFL history, and no matter what Steelers fans think, he's done more with less for years now. If Pittsburgh doesn't want him, there are plenty of teams around the league who would, with these three at the front of the line.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

Antonio Pierce seems as good as gone in Vegas, and if any organization needs a shot of seriousness, it's one that hasn't won a playoff game since reaching the Super Bowl all the way back in 2002. The Raiders have been largely aimless since then, drifting from one identity to the next. Tomlin, above all else, is a culture-setter, someone who will come in and demand accountability. Plus, he knows how to win with less-than-ideal quarterback situations, a prerequisite for anyone signing on for this job.

What's broken in Las Vegas isn't just a matter of scheme or some roster weaknesses. This entire franchise needs to get dragged into the 21st century, and Tomiln has shown time and again that he knows what it takes to build a serious infrastructure in the modern NFL.

2. New York Giants

All Tomlin does is win. All the Giants do, meanwhile, is lose: Those two Super Bowl runs bought a lot of good will, but since the last one in 2011, New York has the fourth-worst winning percentage in the entire NFL, better than only the Jaguars, Jets and Browns. Ownership continues to make the same mistakes over and over again, trapping the team in mediocrity for over a decade now.

Pittsburgh fans may associate Tomlin with mediocrity these days, but the truth is that things could be far worse for the Steelers if he weren't around; it's inarguable that he's overachieved with the talent he's been given in recent seasons. The Giants haven't felt relevant in what seems like forever, and failed coach after failed coach has watched the locker room slip away from them. This simply isn't a place that players want to play right now, but Tomiln — a legendary players coach — would change that in a heartbeat.

1. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas may well still bring back Mike McCarthy, in spite of everything. But if Jerry Jones does decide to finally make a long-overdue change, Tomlin would be an ideal fit. The Steelers coach has gone out of his way to compliment Dak Prescott in the past, and he's everything that McCarthy isn't, a tone-setter and master game manager who won't get bogged down trying to micromanage an offense that's years past its sell-by date. McCarthy, more than anything else, lacks juice, and Tomlin would be exactly the shot in the arm this organization needs.