Omar Khan is head honcho in the Pittsburgh Steelers front office by title, there is little doubt whose opinion the Rooney family values most in the organization, and that is Mike Tomlin. Each and every week that ends in an embarrassing Steelers defeat — so, namely, the last two — results in the same reactions from Pittsburgh football fans and, finally, some of the national media: What does Tomlin have on the Rooneys, and how has a coach who hasn't won a playoff game since 2016 earned this much loyalty?
The last two weeks in particular were some of the worst yet for Tomlin and his defensive coaching staff. Tomlin's background is on the defensive side of the ball, and the Steelers have the highest-paid defense in the NFL as a result. So far this season, they aren't playing like it, giving up 386 yards per game (third-worst in the NFL) and 25 points per game (middle of the pack at best). The last two weeks, the Steelers have given up 33 and 35 points to Joe Flacco and Jordan Love, respectively. Love, at one point on Sunday night, had 20 straight completions. In their last 19 drives defended, the Steelers high-priced unit has given up seven touchdowns, eight field goal attempts and forced a punt only four times.
We could go on, but if the defensive implosion of the last two weeks has taught the Steelers anything, it's that they are not just a piece or two away from contending in the postseason. Heck, the division they once had a stranglehold is suddenly more wide open than ever before. Considering how this team has performed since their Thursday night contest against the Bengals, trading assets for veteran talent at the deadline would be a drastic mistake.
Mike Tomlin's ideal trade deadline will hurt the Steelers long term
The Steelers are a team stuck in football purgatory. The first eight weeks of this season are further proof of that. Whether it was trading draft capital for DK Metcalf, signing Aaron Rodgers or dealing for an over-the-hill Jalen Ramsey, Khan was acting in Tomlin's best interest. The average age of this Steelers defense is one of the oldest in the NFL. The last thing they need heading into what should be a pivotal draft hosted in their home city is less draft picks exchanged for veterans on expiring contracts.
While the Steelers have a lot of room to improve, there aren't many obvious flaws in their roster makeup for Khan to target. Sure, Pittsburgh is lacking in offensive line depth, especially after some injuries suffered on Sunday night. Yes, this team has needed a WR2 for the better part of two seasons now. And sure, the secondary is a mess, but most of the players currently featured in that unit are contractually tied to the Steelers and incredibly tough to move on from.
And perhaps most damning of Tomlin's team is that even should they acquire any possible deadline needs, are we sure they'd make the postseason? Or is this another example of a Pittsburgh flameout, flirting with 9-8 for the sake of their head coach's winning season streak? My money is on the latter.
What mistakes have the Steelers made already?
Whether it be extending TJ Watt, investing in veteran quarterbacks rather than finding a QB of the future, or failing to develop most of their draft picks on the offensive side of the ball, the most recent aspects of Tomlin's tenure have been lacking, to say the least. While not all of these failures fall directly on the head coach's desk, anyone who has spent time around the Steelers organization knows how this works. There's a reason Pittsburgh's had only three coaches since they hired Chuck Noll. Sure, Noll, Cowher and now Tomlin won Super Bowls and will one day all be enshrined in Canton (the first two already have busts there), but the Rooneys are also afraid of change and the dreaded rebuild.
Tomlin only trusts veterans talent because he knows what he's getting. That's why the team extended Watt, gave Cameron Heyward a new deal and waited for Rodgers to make up his mind this summer, and it was all under Tomlin's direction.
Change is difficult for any organization to accept, especially one that's had just three head coaches in 40-plus years. But on the other side of that coin, if the Steelers were to have a head coaching vacancy, the line of interested applicants would stretch from the north shore across the state. No franchise offers more job security than the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they tend to hire the right man for the job. There's little to be afraid of in that regard, and right now, Tomlin is perfectly happy dragging this once-proud fanbase into football purgatory with him.