Mike Tomlin has been the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach since 2007, but his long tenure in the City of Bridges appears to be facing critical hours. Even though the Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills didn’t eliminate the Steelers from the 2026 NFL playoffs, the team now has no margin for error with a 6-6 record.
Steelers fans voiced their displeasure with the current state of the franchise in an unprecedented manner on Sunday, chanting “Fire Tomlin!” for the first time in nearly two decades of his leadership.
Tomlin led the Steelers to a Super Bowl win in his second year as head coach and the team has never had a losing season on his watch. However, with Pittsburgh’s last playoff win dating back to January 2017, fans are calling for a change.
Will Steelers fire Tomlin after chants from fans?
Despite the fans’ chants, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Steelers will not part ways with Tomlin. During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday, the NFL insider ruled out this scenario: “They are not firing Mike Tomlin. That’s not gonna happen.
In response to a question from Tone Digz, Schefter expanded on the situation: “Tone, I have always felt like if a change ever occurs there, it is gonna be because Mike Tomlin doesn’t wanna be back there. Mike Tomlin, again, I know the people in Pittsburgh do not like it, but he has not had a losing season in his 18 years as a head coach. They also have not won a playoff game since (the) 2016 (season).”
Why are the Steelers not expected to fire Tomlin?
Tomlin’s current deal and the Rooney family’s stance of avoiding to fire head coaches makes a change unlikely in the near future. Not only is Tomlin under contract through the 2027 NFL season, but he’s only the third coach the Steelers have had since 1969.
His predecessor, Bill Cowher, coached Pittsburgh for 15 seasons and led the team to a Super Bowl win. Before that, the Steelers were on Chuck Noll’s watch for 23 years in the franchise’s most glorious era, achieving four Super Bowl victories in that period.