T.J. Watt fires vivid shots at Mike Tomlin, Steelers after NFL playoff elimination

T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ defense put on a solid performance, but the offense’s woes, along with some rusty play calling from Mike Tomlin caused the Steelers to be eliminated in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs once again. After the game, the star pass-rusher made his frustration clear with a blunt confession.

“I haven’t had the answer [on what needs to change] for a long time, so don’t ask me,” Watt bluntly told reporters after the Wild Card round exit in the 2026 NFL Playoffs. “I don’t care about the adversity that I went through. I’m sitting up here again. Same story.”

However, when asked about his take on the buzz around Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh, Watt steered away with an answer fans may have a tough time believing. “I haven’t heard much of it, honestly,” Watt answered.

Tomlin’s seat is red-hot

If there was one thing Tomlin always excelled at, it was managing the roster and keeping the locker room in check. However, after the 30-6 loss at home to the Houston Texans, that trait may have worn down. Based on Watt’s candid postgame statement, patience is running finite in the City of Bridges, where one that has been standing for the past 19 NFL seasons may be taken down soon.

Fans across the league are wondering: Is Tomlin staying in Pittsburgh? What’s next for the Super Bowl-winning head coach? The answer is uncertain, but it’s safe to believe the Steelers will take a close look in the mirror.

Playoff losing streak extends

Following the embarrassing loss to the Texans, the Steelers have now dropped seven straight playoff games under Mike Tomlin. The last time Pittsburgh won an NFL postseason game was in 2016, when they defeated the Miami Dolphins led by backup QB Matt Moore.

Since then, the Steelers have been first-round exits every time they reached the playoffs. Moreover, they’ve become the first team in league history to lose five consecutive postseason games by double digits. At some point, the Steel City front office will have to weigh which carries more weight: the streak of non-losing seasons or the prolonged playoff drought. In the meantime, the team is only testing the patience of stars like Watt.