Grade the deal: Steelers guarantee winning records and little else with Mike Tomlin extension

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Mike Tomlin to a contract extension, as the Super Bowl champion was entering the final year of his deal. Tomlin is excellent at securing winning records and getting the national media to fawn over him every step of the way. Unfortunately, the roster construction -- which Tomlin has a lot of say in -- allows him to do little else on the field.

Tomlin's winning record streak is a constant bragging point for everyone but the Steelers fanbase. Going 9-8 every season only to miss the postseason by a game or lose by 20 to Josh Allen and the Bills gets tiring after awhile. The Steelers haven't won a playoff game since 2016. They last hosted a playoff game in 2020, when they completed a total late-season collapse by losing to the rival Cleveland Browns.

Tomlin made two Super Bowls with the Steelers, winning one over the Arizona Cardinals. The argument against keeping Tomlin around has always been that he won that game with Bill Cowher's players. Tomlin was hired in 2007. The Steelers last Super Bowl came in 2008. You do the math.

Mike Tomlin contract details: Steelers sign head coach to extension

Tomlin was entering the final year of his deal, and it was long expected the Steelers and Rooney family would sign him long-term prior to the season. This is not a huge surprise, just a chance for Pittsburgh sports fans to vent. The Steelers are judged in the postseason -- a time they haven't had much success in since the early-to-mid 2010's.

A three-year extension allows Tomlin to see through his current quarterback plan, having brought in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Tomlin also played a role in hiring Arthur Smith, his new offensive coordinator. Omar Khan and Pittsburgh's front office added plenty of talent this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Tomlin is out of excuses, and he now has his contract to match.

Grading the Steelers contract extension for Mike Tomlin

On one hand, the Steelers are unlikely to find a better head coach on the open market than Tomlin. If he were available early next offseason, he'd be the top target for any rebuilding franchise. On the other hand, sometimes these things just naturally run their course. Pittsburgh doesn't want to find out what complacency looks like in the NFL -- they're already starring into the barrel.

Tomlin is an excellent head coach and could use a fresh start. I wrote this as recently as the end of last season. Pittsburgh could have explored trading Tomlin for draft capital, but instead reinvested in him. His family is here, and quite happy from what I hear.

As the Steelers start yet another season hoping to make an unexpected AFC North run, fans are right to wonder just how many times they can run back the same plan and expect different results. That's quite literally the definition of insanity.

Grade: B-