The Pittsburgh Steelers proved to be one of the more active teams throughout the 2025 offseason. They did numerous trades, offered a record-breaking contract to T.J. Watt, and even managed to sign a future Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers, all in a desperate attempt to find their first playoff win since January of 2017.
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Following their Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, however, it seems as if they are inevitably headed towards yet another .500 season that ends in a first-round exit. The frustrations are palpable in Pittsburgh at the moment, and it’s resulted in many calling for an end to the Mike Tomlin era.
Should that prove to be the case, however, the former NFL scout, John Middlekauff, believes he has the perfect landing spot for Tomlin. “If I’m the New York Giants, I would hone in on one guy, and it would be the guy in Pittsburgh,” he suggested during the latest episode of his 3 and Out podcast.
“His fans are chanting to fire him. The Team is circling the drain. They are going nowhere fast. This feels like there couldn’t be an easier transition… That building is clearly on fire, and if I’m Tomlin, I’m getting in my car, and I’m driving to the Giants,” Middlekauff said, amid the Steelers’ average season in terms of total wins.
After losing five of their last seven games, the Steelers now have +235 odds of making the playoffs. A pair of dates with a desperate yet dangerous Baltimore Ravens still lie ahead, and when you sprinkle in some matchups with the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, it looks as if the Steelers have their work cut out for them the rest of the way.
Seeing as their first bout with the Ravens is scheduled to take place in Baltimore this weekend, oddsmakers are listing Lamar Jackson and co. as -5.5 point favorites. Should the Ravens make good on their nearly -300 moneyline odds, then that would give Pittsburgh a losing record for the first time this season.
With just a handful of weeks left in the year, this is perhaps the worst time for a team to be relegated to a sub-500 record. But it is a scarily real possibility for a Steelers offense that has averaged a little more than 19 points per game throughout the last three weeks. It’s also worth noting that Rodgers is far from being 100% as well.
The 42-year-old was sidelined in Week 12 by a left wrist injury, and he looked noticeably haggard while being strip-sacked by the Bills in Week 13. There’s no telling how much gas is left in the tank, but the dashboard light is clearly on for the Steelers. And if Tomlin isn’t able to get them to a rest stop soon, then he may just be driven out of town by an angry mob.
