Big Ben believes Mike Tomlin calls the shots in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers got dominated by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round, losing 28-14. It was the sixth straight playoff loss for Pittsburgh, a fact that has some believing it’s time for the organization to move on from longtime head coach Mike Tomlin. However, such a change might not be as easy as it seems given Tomlin’s control over the franchise.
Former Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger offered his take on Tomlin’s role in the organization. “I know Omar Khan is the general manager here. Mike Tomlin makes decisions. Now, at the end of the day, Mr. Rooney might end up, he could veto things, obviously, if he chooses to. But Mike Tomlin has decisions and makes most of the decisions in Pittsburgh. He can say he doesn’t and this, that, and the other. We all know that he’s got a lot of pull. He’s been here for 18 years. You wouldn’t be here that long if you didn’t have pull and say,” Roethlisberger said per Blitzburgh on X.
While Tomlin is clearly deeply ingrained in the Steelers’ organization, the reality of the situation is that Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. And the team looked entirely outclassed in the loss to Baltimore Saturday. Even worse, the Steelers stumbled into the playoffs, losing their last four regular season games before their first-round exit.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ puppet master?
Tomlin has unquestionably demonstrated the unique ability to get more out of his teams than the sum of their parts in recent years. But some feel a change of scenery might be necessary for Tomlin to get back to his winning ways, similar to Andy Reid’s situation in Philadelphia.
There’s even been talk of the Steelers trading Tomlin to a team in search of a new head coach. While unusual, there is precedent for such a move as the Raiders traded head coach Jon Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. That decision paid immediate dividends for the Bucs as Gruden led them to a championship in his first season at the helm in Tampa Bay.
Still, it’s far more likely that the Steelers hang on to Tomlin, who has proven over his 18-year tenure in Pittsburgh that he is one of the very best head coaches in the NFL. However, some changes should be expected during the offseason. It’s possible the Steelers move on from George Pickens, who’s comments following the loss to Baltimore rubbed fans the wrong way.
