Former Steelers WR echoes bold suggestion for Mike Tomlin

Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark and current NFL analyst Chase Daniel of The Athletic are among some of the noteworthy members of the football community who suggested after Pittsburgh's 28-14 wild-card playoff loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens earlier this month that head coach Mike Tomlin "should look into whether or not his voice is better suited somewhere else" because he may need "to move on from the Steelers" this offseason.

Retired wide receiver Plaxico Burress played under Tomlin during Burress' second stint with the Steelers in 2012. On the latest episode of the "Up on Game" podcast, Burress echoed the takes previously offered by Clark and Daniel. 

"Nobody really expected for them to go into Baltimore and to win that football game," Burress said about the "culture" of the Steelers related to the matchup versus the Ravens on Jan. 11, per Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "Does Mike Tomlin need a new start? I would say yeah. I really would."

There has been no sign since the wild-card defeat that the Steelers are going to fire Tomlin this winter, and it was reported this past weekend that Pittsburgh declined to engage in serious talks with the Chicago Bears regarding a possible trade involving the 52-year-old. While Tomlin directly said last week that teams interested in his services should "save your time," some continue to wonder if those running the Steelers would approach the one-time Super Bowl champion head coach about accepting a trade because he hasn't recorded a playoff win since the 2016 season. 

The three-year contract extension Tomlin signed last offseason reportedly included a no-trade clause. 

"Having winning seasons is not enough anymore," Burress added about Tomlin's tenure, one that has included Pittsburgh posting zero losing campaigns since he earned the job in 2007. "You have to be able to get to a championship and win a championship. And with the current team, look at the rosters that he's had, and he's been able to have all these winning seasons. I think he needs a fresh start." 

Tomlin is at least somewhat responsible for the rosters he has coached since September 2017, so it's understandable some simply think the Steelers need new leadership both behind the scenes and in the locker room. Nevertheless, there's no indication Tomlin will heed the advice offered by the likes of Burress and Clark even though the Steelers seem, on paper, to be more than just an offseason away from competing with the conference's best teams in a postseason tournament.