Mike Tomlin has led the Steelers through 18 consecutive non-losing seasons, and he did it again with Russell Wilson at his disposal. Notably, Cowboys legend Michael Irvin thinks it’s time we stop putting the Steelers head coach on the hot seat and respect him for the distinguished career he’s had.
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Irvin went on Speak to state his claim. He said that Tomlin should keep his job regardless of what happens against the Ravens in the Wild Card matchup. But Irvin does admit, it’s a hard situation to evaluate.
“The NFL is about winning championships. And Mike Tomlin has had some incredible seasons dragging the squad he’s been given across the finish line to a winning season. But it’s not just about having winning seasons. It’s about ultimately winning Super Bowls… So in theory, Mike hasn’t won a championship in a while and he should be on the hot seat.”
It is an interesting debate. On the surface, Tomlin should be on the hot seat. The major point keeping his track record alive is his 18 consecutive winning seasons. Although there have been some close calls regarding Tomlin. Three times the Steelers have finished 8-8 under Tomlin, as well as a 9-8 season. He also hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016.
.@michaelirvin88 doesn’t believe Mike Tomlin should be on the hot seat with a loss to the Ravens. pic.twitter.com/4dQqRCFB9l
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) January 8, 2025
But Irvin thinks that if you look solely at numbers, it doesn’t paint the full picture. Instead, he turns his attention towards the front office and what they’ve been supplying to Tomlin over the years.
“I don’t say he should be on the hot seat. Because I’m looking at what you had and the results of what you did. When do we on this desk start giving Rooneys the Rooney for not getting a quarterback- like we would’ve done to Jerry Jones for not giving Mike McCarthy what he needed.”
While the statement may be confusing to some, he has a point. The “Rooneys” in mention are the front office people who supply the head coach with players. Irvin is claiming that the fans should blame the Pittsburgh GM and owner for the Steelers’ failures over the years.
Time and time again, it’s the head coach that takes the fall for the front office’s inadequacies. When Ben Roethlisberger went down in 2019, he had to make do with Mason Rudolph. And since Ben has left, he’s had to deal with two seasons of Kenny Pickett and a season of Russell Wilson with Justin Fields sprinkled in.
Everyone knows that Tomlin can get his team to the playoffs, but the front office doesn’t give him any additional firepower once he gets there. That’s perhaps why the team hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016.
