The Pittsburgh Steelers' season came to another disappointing end on Saturday night after they lost 28–14 to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round. This marks six playoff losses in a row for the Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers' 2024 season was a rollercoaster, to say the least, as the team started out 10–3, then dropped their final four games of the regular season to clinch the No. 6 playoff spot. Something obviously wasn't working well on the team in the final month of the season.
Now that their campaign is over, multiple NFL columnists are looking to see what the root of the Steelers' problem is—is it Tomlin or the offense, or both?
The quarterback situation is definitely going to be a big topic of conversation this offseason as both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are set to hit free agency in March. Wilson has made it clear he wants to remain in Pittsburgh, even with his recent struggles. It's unclear what the organization will do.
However, a conversation about Tomlin's future has arose recently, which is something not talked about often. Tomlin's been with the Steelers since 2007, leading them to 18 consecutive non-losing seasons. Pittsburgh isn't known for mixing it up very often, as Tomlin's only the team's third coach since the merger in 1970. It would be shocking for the Steelers to trade Tomlin to another team, but some columnists, like The Athletic's Mike DeFabo, thinks there could be some "significant changes" made in Pittsburgh this offseason. Will that start with Tomlin?
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey also wrote about the changes the Steelers need to make, but noted how owner Art Rooney II is known for "silence" over making a lot of noise. Both columnists agreed that it would be "shocking" for the Steelers to move on from Tomlin, but never say never.
Regardless of what choices the Steelers make this offseason, expect to see some changes to the team next season as Pittsburgh can't keep ending their seasons like this.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Multiple NFL Columnists Ponder 'Significant Changes' After Steelers Playoff Exit.
