Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Pittsburgh Steelers have begun life without its long-standing head coach — Mike Tomlin — after 19 seasons of unbroken success.
- The transition comes with visible tension and missed opportunities that hint at deeper instability beneath the surface.
- The franchise now faces a path walked by other proud teams, like the Cowboys and Packers, that saw their reputation erode quickly after a coaching change.
The grass isn't always greener. A solid portion of Pittsburgh Steelers fanbase got their wish this offseason, watching longtime head coach Mike Tomlin let himself out. By this time next year, they could regret it.
As Mike McCarthy’s Steelers forge through next season, it could become apparent that Tomlin was actually the one who held up the franchise’s prestigious reputation all these years, as Mike Florio echoed this past week.
“They could be teetering on the edge of people finally realizing, ‘You know what, that uniform goes a long way toward making this current football organization seem not dysfunctional,'” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said Thursday on 'PFT Live.' “And we may find out pretty soon that they are. … Are they gonna be good enough? I think there’s a concern there.”
What went wrong for the Steelers last season
It appeared the Steelers would waltz into the playoffs last season, but they shot themselves in the foot on a handful of occasions and, if not for Tyler Loop’s missed field goal as time expired on the regular season, would’ve watched the postseason from home.
Rather than trip up at the doorway, though, Tomlin’s team was shoved out as soon as it stepped inside by the Houston Texans.
Down the stretch, the pressure that accompanied Tomlin’s post seemed to reach an all-time high. As shocking as it was that he resigned after 19 campaigns — none of which, of course, resulted in a losing record — the city’s frustrations had boiled over.
Change can be a good thing. In the case of these Steelers, Pittsburgh is ready for a new era, even should it bring disappointment. That's a theme prestigious organizations like the Packers, Cowboys and 49ers are familiar with.
Green Bay Packers learn life without Vince Lombardi
During his nine seasons in Green Bay, Vince Lombardi made such an impact that they named the Super Bowl’s trophy after him. His importance to the team he lifted to new heights was underlined after his willing departure in 1968.
Lombardi retired as Packers head coach shortly after Super Bowl II and handpicked assistant coach Phil Bengston to replace him. The defensive-minded successor went 20-21-1 over three go-rounds and stepped away in 1970. Green Bay, meanwhile, earned just two division titles and didn’t reach the conference round of the playoffs in the 27 campaigns after Lombardi’s goodbye.
It took Brett Favre’s arrival and pairing with Mike Holmgren for the Packers to return to prominence. The storied franchise hasn’t really worried about a quarterback since and has been a postseason regular.
Dallas Cowboys fall into disappointing stretch
America’s Team didn’t instantly fall into the trapdoor after Barry Switzer left town in 1998.
Chan Gailey guided the Cowboys to an NFC East crown the following season and a playoff appearance two campaigns in a row. Yet, he was pushed out after back-to-back double-digit postseason defeats in Dave Campo’s stead.
Under Campo and his successor, Bill Parcells, Dallas notched just one go-round of at least 10 wins (2003) over seven seasons. The Cowboys have had seven coaches since Switzer, with both Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy posting three double-digit-win campaigns.
In all, they’ve won eight division titles, but are the only NFC team not to reach the conference championship game since the 1995 go-round.
San Francisco 49ers endure rough stretch after glory days
Steve Mariucci didn’t wreck the car after taking over for George Seifert. The 49ers grabbed an NFC West title in 1997, Mariucci’s first go-round at the helm. They went 12-4 and reached the divisional round the one after that, but Steve Young’s bout with a concussion in 1999 and retirement soon after caused a couple of down campaigns.
Mariucci’s teams recovered while turning to quarterback Jeff Garcia and receiver Terrell Owens, reaching the postseason twice after that, but Mariucci was fired after another divisional crown in 2002.
The combination of Dennis Erickson, Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary couldn’t crack the playoffs — or log a winning season — from 2003-10. Jim Harbaugh showed up in 2011, providing three straight trips to the NFC Championship game and a Super Bowl appearance.
Early signs point to concerning trend for Steelers
For right now, the only true way to analyze McCarthy’s Steelers tenure is how the 2026 NFL Draft unfolded.
General manager Omar Khan waited too long for USC receiver Makai Lemon to tumble during the first round, watching the Philadelphia Eagles swoop in right ahead of the Steelers and nab him. While that wasn’t a good look, it overshadows a few of the Steelers decisions in the middle rounds.
Pittsburgh selected Kaden Wetjen in the fourth round, something even the Iowa return specialist — who was out golfing — didn’t expect. Two rounds later, the Steelers called on Notre Dame Gabriel Rubio, a relatively unknown defensive tackle ranked No. 48 at his position by The Athletic.
While those picks could prove doubters wrong, how other teams have fallen on hard times after watching a capable coach hit the road should scare Steelers fans.
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