If we are being honest, then Mike Tomlin might be the biggest teaser in Steel City. You’d think, with no losing seasons in 18 seasons, two Super Bowl appearances, including a win in 2009, Pittsburgh would be singing his praises. But, cue in the drum rolls, Steelers Nation isn’t celebrating. They’re restless. They want Mike on a pike…

Why? It’s the playoff drought. Well, it’s that and much more… Since 2016, the Steelers haven’t won a postseason game. Not one. That’s seven years of “almosts” and “not quites.” When you’re a franchise with six Lombardi Trophies, mediocrity doesn’t fly. Then, there’s the infamous Russell Wilson vs. Justin Fields debacle where the popular vote rested with the 25-year-old.

And losing five straight to end the 2024 season, with the Wild Card meltdown against the Ravens to finish off? That’s salt in the wound.

But Tomlin isn’t hiding from the heat. In a presser, he put it bluntly: “I share [the frustration]… I’m not a big-time comfort seeker, and particularly in circumstances such as this, I don’t view myself as a comfort provider because words are hollow.” Wait for it… “It’s about what we do and less about what we say,” he added.

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Translation: Save your “Fire Tomlin” chants. He knows the standard isn’t being met, and he’s not sugarcoating it. In fact, he’s already talking about adapting, adjusting, and avoiding the dreaded rinse-repeat cycle.

Still, let’s give some credit. The Steelers patched together a 10-8 season with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields splitting QB duties—hardly the dream team. And yet, Tomlin piloted that ship into the playoffs. If that’s not a coaching skill, what is? Steelers fans, do you really think switching to a rookie head coach solves everything? Look around the league. Longevity like Tomlin’s isn’t luck—it’s earned.

But on the flip side, in Tomlin’s words: the frustrations are understandable. The wild card loss exposed weaknesses. The defense got steamrolled, Wilson faltered, and offensive play-calling was questionable. And in the league where the recency bias is everything, none of the fans are going to frame Tomlin’s picture on the wall.

Bottom line? You don’t throw out the playbook because of a bad quarter. But if the playbook is wearing off, you either try to fix it or get in a new one without wasting any time. So, when a fan on X wrote this: “You change the QB. You change the OC. Still 10-7. Still fizzling out in December. And still not winning a playoff game. Where the f—k does the blame lie? Fire Mike Tomlin.” It was a shot to the front office, asking them to do their job and pronto.

However, these frustrations are also because the Steelers fans think their calls are going to NO ONE! They wanted Russ out too. And we all know what happened with that…

Russell Wilson is not letting the Pittsburgh hate get to him

Russell Wilson isn’t about to throw in the towel. The man’s mindset screams next play, next opportunity. After a tough season, he’s already back in the grind. If you are from the Steel City, you wouldn’t wanna see it. But… sigh…

Steelers Depot shared a glimpse of his offseason hustle on Instagram, captioned with a simple yet powerful message: “Restart. New year. It’s a lifestyle.” That one word—restart—is the rallying cry. Wilson’s not just sticking around; he’s gearing up to prove he’s still got plenty left in the tank. Despite the fans asking him to, “Hang it up!”

Well, now, he’s made it clear—he loves being in Pittsburgh. Wilson said, “That’s the plan. I love it here… and I think we have a great football team… I have got a lot of pigskin left in me.” Talk about keeping your eye on the end zone despite the setbacks.

Stat-wise, Wilson had his moments. His 2,488 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just five interceptions were solid. But things fell apart late in the season. The Steelers dropped their last five games, the offense sputtered, and Wilson was sacked 33 times. YIKES, OUCH… Add in more and it still won’t be enough.

And now, if we loop it back to fans’ frustration with Coach Tomlin, well, it also stems from the faith that he rested in Russ. Despite Justin Fields’ solid 4-2 start, Tomlin put Wilson back under center. That move paid off initially, with Wilson leading a 6-1 run. But, oh my days, what a turn it took. Ending with just one Mark Schelereth comment echoing in Pitts: “Russell Wilson still sucks…” 

So, where does that leave Pittsburgh? We can tend to believe that the final stats don’t tell the whole story. Wilson’s performance may not have wowed the critics. But let’s give him flowers for his drive. As he said, “There’s a lot more to do.” Hoping that he does ‘the lot’.