Mike Tomlin added another above .500 season to his resume, finishing the regular season 10-7. Despite being 10-3 at one point and leading the division, the Steelers reverted to their old pattern, ending the season poorly with four consecutive losses.
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Even though they are in the postseason, no one expects them to win in the wildcard game against the Ravens. This will make their 8th season without a playoff win. John Middlekauff believes it’s time for a change and Ben Johnson could be the solution to their problems.
“They haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. I think the fix is pretty easy. Mike Tomlin would be awesome on TV, but with all these openings, teams would die to have Mike Tomlin, why not go to the Bears? Trade him to the Bears. Tomlin gets a fresh start, he gets a young QB and the Steelers can use their infrastructure of the organization to hire Ben Johnson.”
Middelkauf believes that, unlike some other places, the Bears won’t have to give up a first-round pick to get Tomlin. A couple of second and third-round picks throughout two or three drafts would be sufficient, according to him.
The Steelers can then get Ben Johnson, build their offense around his philosophy, and draft a new QB accordingly.
He believes it’s time for the Steelers to enter the current NFL by turning a page and going from a defensive team to an offensive team.
Is it time for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers to get a fresh start?
Tomlin still has a lot of juice left in him but it feels like there is nothing he can do in Pittsburgh. Things have been stagnating for a decade now. It’s time for the Steelers to shift their identity from a hard-nosed physical football team that overly relies on defense to a team that could beat good teams through their offense, without sacrificing defensively.
They have not been to the Super Bowl since 2011 and have not won the Lombardy since 2008. The Steelers are proud and one of the most successful franchises with six Super Bowls. But since their last win, they have settled for mediocrity. They haven’t been to the AFC Championship Game since 2016.
Robert Kraft saw things getting stagnant in New England under Bill Belichick and pulled the trigger. It’s time for Art Rooney to do the same.
As for Tomlin, it’s time for him to reinvent himself and then take his philosophy somewhere else. The Bears have a lot of good pieces on offense and a good defense—pieces that Mike can work with.
Currently, Mike Vrabel is a favorite for the Patriots’ job but they could take a chance on the Steelers HC too. Unlike the Bears, New England has a winning culture and a stable owner who is keen on rebuilding with a lot of cap space and a high draft pick.
