At the 2025 Notre Dame Pro Day, Mike Tomlin stood on the sideline in South Bend, arms folded, eyes fixed, no clipboard, no headset—just presence. Eighteen years into his run with the Steelers, that quiet command still turned heads among scouts, players, and reporters alike. But in Pittsburgh, where Super Bowl banners gather dust and quarterback questions remain unanswered, that same presence is now being debated. Because when a Super Bowl-winning safety publicly questions the coach who once led him, the volume cranks up fast. Especially when it’s coming from inside the house.

When Mike Tomlin arrived in Pittsburgh in 2007, he was just 34—youngest head coach in the NFL, inheriting a legacy team with towering expectations. Eighteen seasons later, he hasn’t had a single losing record, yet here we are—talking about hot seats, outdated systems, and who might be next. The NFL offseason still has three months to play out, but Steelers fans have already gone nuclear.

The franchise didn’t land a clear franchise quarterback. Meanwhile, their AFC North rivals, the Browns, have five signal-callers in the building. The Steelers wanted four—and didn’t get there. Social media hasn’t spared anyone in Pittsburgh’s front office. From Shedeur Sanders slipping to Cleveland, to the unresolved Aaron Rodgers drama, fans are laying the blame squarely at Mike Tomlin’s feet. That’s why, for the first time in nearly two decades, real conversations have started surfacing: What would Pittsburgh look like without Mike Tomlin?

While some pundits are calling him outdated, others insist his presence is irreplaceable. NFL Network’s Peter Schrager broke it down on May 17, making the strongest case for Tomlin’s staying power. “He still is the loudest voice in the building,” Schrager said. “If he were to leave Pittsburgh—and he would have to be fired, because I don’t think it would ever happen contractually—there would be a line of probably 15 teams.”

But Schrager didn’t stop there. He added: “There would be a line of not only four broadcast networks, but 11 streamers… to get him on a broadcast crew. So Tomlin would still be the No. 1 target in the offseason if he were to ever leave.”

As you probably know, Tomlin is now the longest-tenured active head coach in the NFL. But did you know that he is also the longest-tenured across the four major North American sports? That stat alone makes the criticism feel extreme. Still, critics are growing louder—and some of them are wearing gold and black.

Ryan Clark’s honest confession on Mike Tomlin’s future

The storm really began after a candid take from former Steelers safety Ryan Clark, who played under Tomlin from 2007 to 2013. Appearing on First Take with Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim, Clark didn’t mince words. “The most telling piece about those games is the deficits they faced in all of those playoff games. So, what is that? Not being prepared? Not being talented enough? They have to find the answer.”

Clark, a Super Bowl XLIII champion, made it personal: “I believe Mike Tomlin is unfireable. I believe Mike Tomlin steps away from being the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers—that should be his decision. But I’ve said time and again, that should be the decision he makes.” He also floated the idea of a Tomlin reset, saying the coach deserves to have “his Andy Reid–Kansas City run” somewhere else. A fresh start, just like Reid got after Philly.

Clark wasn’t alone. FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd also criticized Tomlin on May 18, calling the Super Bowl–winning coach “outdated.” The argument? It’s been 15 years since Tomlin’s last Super Bowl appearance in 2010. That stat stings. Since losing to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Super Bowl XLV, the Steelers haven’t returned to the big game. But even critics like Clark stop short of demanding his firing. They want him to choose what’s next.

Despite the noise, multiple reports confirm Tomlin’s seat isn’t as hot internally as it appears externally. As of now, there’s no indication he’s leaving in 2025. But the whispers have turned to debates—and debates to headlines. Tomlin’s future may be uncertain, but his value isn’t. If he were to walk, 31 other teams would pick up the phone. And if they didn’t? Every network and streaming platform would.

The only real question is whether Pittsburgh still feels like the right fit. Because if Mike Tomlin decides to leave, it won’t be because he has to. It’ll be because he chooses to.