Another Mike Tomlin update might be most frustrating yet for Steelers fans

The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost six straight postseason games. At a certain point, the finger gets pointed at the head coach.

Nobody can deny Mike Tomlin's bona fides. He is among the most respected and accomplished coaches in football. He has instilled a singular culture of winning in Pittsburgh. The Steelers quite literally never finish below .500 and playoff appearances are the norm, even in a tough division.

The Steelers won 10 games this season with a quarterback room of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, which was viewed as a borderline impossibility before the season. If not for a wacky, injury-addled slide late in the season — Pittsburgh lost five straight down the stretch — the Steelers might've won the AFC North.

And yet, a 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday brought about another early postseason exit and more existential questions in Pittsburgh. At a certain point, the Steelers are going to get tired of stagnating late in the campaign... right?

Well, maybe not. While the Steelers can probably flip Tomlin for draft picks in a trade to start fresh, that does not appear to be in the cards. Pittsburgh will instead stick with its current head coach, who has occupied the sideline in Steel City for 18 years now.

Steelers prepared to keep Mike Tomlin for his 19th season as head coach

The Steelers are "are not planning to make any move" involving Mike Tomlin, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Tomlin inked a three-year extension before the season that tethers him to Pittsburgh through 2027. There's a good chance he finishes out that contract, at the very least.

This is an understandable decision. At the end of the day, Tomlin is a known commodity with an exceptionally high floor. There are few more consistently successful organizations in football. Tomlin hasn't reached the mountaintop in a while, but he's at least in the playoffs every year. A lot of teams — and their fans — would kill for such stability.

That said, if the Steelers could nail their succession plan, one can't help but feel like a new voice might be beneficial. Even the greatest coaches lose their sway over a locker room eventually. Tomlin has dealt with turmoil aplenty. The Steelers too often feel like they're one controversy or one injury away from finally unravelling.

It's hard to predict how the 2025 offseason will unfold in Pittsburgh. Both Wilson and Fields are free agents, which means Tomlin could be working with a new starting quarterback for the third straight year. Most organizations can't sustain such turnover without a lull in the win column. Tomlin feels like a lock to win 10 or so games each season, but does it matter if the playoffs result in a depressing first-round exit without fail?

Tomlin is far from Pittsburgh's most deserving blame candidate. General manager Omar Khan continues to leave glaring holes in his roster without accountability from the higher-ups. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's game plan on Saturday was utterly confounding. His postseason track record, at this point, is probably more troublesome than Tomlin's. Wilson looked out of his depth against Baltimore's ravenous defense. All the preseason concerns about his age and noticeable decline proved valid.

That said, if the Steelers can't produce better postseason results sooner than later, Tomlin has to get the axe. He'll latch on with a new team and probably find plenty of regular season success, but Pittsburgh cannot abide competence at the expense of excellence. Sometimes a front office needs to bite the bullet and venture into the unknown. There is inherent risk to replacing such a decorated head coach, but without risk, there's seldom a reward.