Steelers fans throw phones in the Allegheny after latest Mike Tomlin report

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs Saturday night. It was Mike Tomlin's sixth straight postseason loss, and Pittsburgh's fifth-straight defeat to end the season.

Steelers fans are tired of the same tired thought process. Tomlin's teams have gone 10-7 or 9-8 since Ben Roethlisberger retired, narrowly avoiding a step back, but also refusing to start over or progress. Even after Pittsburgh entered 2024 with a brand new quarterback room, they got a similar result, with the defense running out of gas late in the campaign while the offense floundered under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. It's not a great look.

Tomlin would receive a head coaching job within a week if he were let go by the Steelers. The odds are stacked against Pittsburgh firing him for this very reason. A trade would be a possibility if the Steelers front office and Tomlin were open to a change of scenery, but even that is a longshot thanks to Tomlin's reported no-trade clause.

Per Adam Schefter, there's been little buzz about Pittsburgh parting ways with Tomlin despite another playoff loss. The standard is the standard for the Steelers, even if that means the bar isn't high enough.

Steelers fans won't be happy with the same old Mike Tomlin approach

As has been the case each of the past three seasons, Steelers fans aren't thrilled with Tomlin's approach or the end result. While a .500 record streak would be praised in Jacksonville or New York, it's not what most Pittsburgh fans grew up with. Tomlin's lone Super Bowl win came in 2008, and he hasn't reached the big game since 2011.

While some Steelers fans would prefer to start over even if it means a losing season, ownership feels differently. As long as Pittsburgh is relevant and playoff-bound, they are still raking in money from football-hungry Yinzers. Football culture runs deep in the Steel City and they will always support their team, even if it means a disappointing end to the season.

Much like the end of the Andy Reid era in Philadelphia, both sides could use a fresh start. This does not mean Tomlin is a bad football coach – no one with half a brain is suggesting that. It does mean Tomlin's best days in Pittsburgh have run their course. It does little to benefit the Steelers or Tomlin to run it back without some serious changes, and so far in his long Pittsburgh career, he's been unwilling to make institute such alterations in his approach.

That's the problem, and it's why Steelers fans are as frustrated as ever on Sunday with no end in sight.