Mike Tomlin has been the Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach for 19 seasons. But the criticism around him in 2025 isn’t new, and neither are the calls for his job. Nearly a decade ago, Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw made his feelings about Tomlin crystal clear. According to Bradshaw, Tomlin was never a great coach to begin with. In his view, Tomlin was more of a “cheerleader” guy on the sidelines.

“I don’t think he’s (Tomlin) a great coach at all,” Bradshaw said back then. “He’s a nice coach, and I’ve said this, he’s really a great cheerleader guy. I don’t know what he does, but I don’t think he’s a great coach at all. His name never even pops into my mind when we think about great coaches in the NFL.”

Fast forward to now, and with the Steelers staring at a very real possibility of missing the postseason if they lose to the Baltimore Ravens in the regular-season finale, another franchise legend has jumped back into the conversation. This time, it’s James Harrison. Taking to Instagram, Harrison reposted Bradshaw’s clip and attached a blunt reminder, writing: “Bradshaw said this 9 years ago Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game in 9 years.”

This wasn’t a one-off jab either. It was yet another clapback from Harrison toward his former head coach. And it’s not hard to see where he’s coming from. On paper, Tomlin’s résumé is rock solid. A 192–114 regular-season record, a Super Bowl ring, and 19 straight non-losing seasons to start a coaching career put him firmly among the league’s most consistent coaches.

But zoom out a bit, and the postseason tells a different story. Tomlin is just 8–11 in the playoffs across those 19 seasons. And as Harrison pointed out, the Steelers haven’t won a single playoff game in nearly a decade. That gap between regular-season stability and postseason results is exactly where most of the criticism lives.

Harrison hasn’t hidden his stance either. “I have never been a person that thought Coach Tomlin was a great coach,” Harrison said last month. “I thought he was a good [coach]. … A good coach gets you to play to your potential. And right now, the players we have on that team I have seen play, they’re not playing up to their potential. A great coach gets you to play to your potential.”

Add in the ups and downs of the 2025 season, and the frustration starts to make more sense. Pittsburgh opened the year hot, jumping out to a 4–1 record with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center. But that momentum didn’t last. They dropped five of their next seven games, wiping out most of that early cushion.

Yes, they knocked the Detroit Lions out of the playoff race and briefly looked like a legitimate AFC North contender. But a sloppy 13–6 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 quickly unraveled that narrative. That’s why everything now comes down to the Ravens game. And in a what-if world where the Steelers lose and miss the postseason altogether, it wouldn’t be shocking if the franchise finally has a serious conversation about Mike Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh.

Steelers could have a conversation with Mike Tomlin if he fails to make the playoffs

Stability is something the Steelers are fond of. It’s one of the reasons why the organization has had just three head coaches in more than half a century. And it’s also one of the reasons why Art Rooney II didn’t pay any attention when fans at Acrisure Stadium started chanting “Fire Tomlin.” But as the 2025 season is winding down, NFL insider James Palmer believes that the two sides might have a conversation about Tomlin’s future. Yes, based on the outcome of the regular season finale.

“Asking around the league, there is a different feeling this year than in years past,” Palmer said on Bleacher Report’s YouTube channel. “These two teams (Steelers and Ravens) are playing each other in Week 18. Winner goes to the postseason. The other goes home…Just because it feels different when you ask people around the league, does that mean a change happens? No.

“But you do have to look at everything that’s included in it. With Mike Tomlin, this is year 19. This is an aging roster…If you need to reset this roster fully, does Mike Tomlin want to be a part of that? Because I do not think Mike Tomlin is ever going to be fired…I think there would be conversation that they would part ways…I do think conversations, if they don’t make the postseason, will be had.”

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Stability is once again at the center of the discussion based on Palmer’s comments. He doesn’t believe Tomlin will be fired. And that became pretty clear earlier this season when the “Fire Tomlin” chants didn’t lead to any real action from the organization. But at the same time, firing Tomlin isn’t the only possible outcome here.

If the Steelers decide to hit a reset button in 2026, starting with the quarterback position, Tomlin himself could be the one who prefers an exit. That doesn’t mean his coaching career would be anywhere close to over. Given his résumé, there would be no shortage of teams interested. And according to Palmer, whether those conversations even begin will largely depend on how the regular-season finale plays out.