The Pittsburgh Steelers are stuck in the middle of NFL purgatory. The team is just barely good enough to be on the fringe of the playoffs year in and year out, but the group never has any real chance of competing. This harsh reality has been the driving force behind a lot of the criticism thrown in Head Coach Mike Tomlin's direction, as his message in the locker room has been accused of growing stale. Tomlin has infamously gone 18 consecutive seasons without having a losing record, but the constant mediocrity in Pittsburgh has the fan base more frustrated than it has been over the last couple of decades.
Tomlin's team has failed to advance in the playoffs since the 2016 season, and the coach has been accused of wasting high-end talent throughout his entire career. There are many Tomlin-defenders out there, and the main argument used to back his coaching is that he gets more out of his rosters than any other coach could. Meaning, his rosters are never good enough to compete with the top teams in the league, but Tomlin constantly has his team in the postseason.
Former Steelers insider Ed Bouchette reported on the team from 1985 through 2019, and he was known as one of the more respected beat writers in the NFL. He has seen many different variations of the Steelers, and he recently went on the Chipped Ham & Football Podcast. Bouchette delivered some harsh criticisms of Tomlin, insisting that he is the main decision-maker when it comes to building the roster.
"Every (Steelers) coach has the final say," Bouchette said. "That started with Chuck Noll, it went through Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. They're not bringing anybody in that Tomlin doesn't want. He gets who he wants, and that's the way it is. Whether it was Kevin [Colbert] or Omar [Khan], that's the way it is."
The main defense of Tomlin is that his rosters are never good in all facets of the game, but it seems that Bouchette believes that falls squarely on the shoulders of the coach. He may be able to push these rosters as far as they can go, but he as at fault for the constant mediocrity.
If everything Bouchette is saying is true, it means that Tomlin has the final say when it comes to the NFL Draft, free agency, and the trade market. He would also be the decision-maker when it comes to which players to release, and cuts made during training camp. These are all vital steps when it comes to building a contender, and Tomlin has consistently fallen short.
"Blame or praise or whatever, he's deeply involved," Bouchette said. "He coaches the defense-everybody knows that now. He's the man who hires the coaches. To me, he's not done a very good job of that, hiring coaches. That's the one thing I don't think he's done a good job at. I think Mike is a good coach, I really do."
Tomlin seems to have a hand in every flaw within the organization. Whether that be mediocre rosters, or poor hires on the coaching staff. The coach has notably struggled to build his own coaching tree, as he has been a head coach for 18 seasons and his tree is essentially non-existent. Meanwhile, other coaches around the league like Sean McVay see their tree grow every offseason. This is a sign of making bad hires, while also failing to put assistant coaches in situations to succeed.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Will Now Likely Have The Final Say In The Quarterback Decision
The Steelers are facing a quarterback dilemma as the organization heads into the 2025 offseason. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are slated to enter free agency, but the organization will likely look to get a deal done with one of the players before the new league year begins in March. Tomlin has notably been a fan of Wilson, which should give the fan base a hint on who they should expect to be the starting quarterback in 2025.
Wilson comes with a higher price tag than Fields, and significantly less upside. Fields fits the mold of the new age of quarterbacks in the NFL, as he is mobile and can extend plays with his legs. Wilson can no longer do that at this stage of his career. With Tomlin making all the decision, the suffering is likely to continue in Pittsburgh.
