‘Win-Now’ Steelers Put ‘Uncommon Pressure’ On Mike Tomlin: Could Be In ‘Big Trouble’

Mike Tomlin would be wise to add some Queen to his playlist. Specifically “Under Pressure.” Because that’s exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach is facing this year: Pressure.

Tomlin has been the Steelers head coach since 2007, making him the longest-tenured coach currently on the sidelines. He’s watched Pittsburgh’s front office wheel and deal during the offseason, most notably adding quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf and cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

On the flip side, Tomlin and the Steelers said goodbye to quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, wide receiver George Pickens, running back Najee Harris and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Add all that up and you get a Steelers team that’s clearly in a win-now mode. “This is an all-in move. Very atypical of Pittsburgh. Very intriguing,” former Dolphins and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said Monday on “Get Up,” per Front Office Sports.

NFL reporter and podcast host Dan Le Batard said Tomlin will face “uncommon pressure” this season. Le Batard concluded Tomlin will “either get further in the playoffs this year — or he’s in big trouble,” according to Front Office Sports.

Tomlin won the Super Bowl in his second season with the Steelers. But since then, Pittsburgh has failed to recapture championship glory. He’s led Pittsburgh to the playoffs five times in the last eight seasons, and each appearance ended with the Steelers being one and done. And that won’t cut it for a franchise which has won a record-tying six Lombardi trophies.

Add all that up, and you get some must-see TV for the NFL’s broadcast partners. “There’s a respect and mystique around the history of the Steelers,” Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy wrote Monday. “‘They have good ownership; they do things the right way; and they’re an easy team to root for,’ one TV partner tells me.

“‘They have a massive fan base all over the country and all over the world. And Tomlin’s universally respected,’” McCarthy continued.

McCarthy noted that the Steelers have four nationally-televised prime-time games and five “standalone” games this season. 

“The Cowboys, Chiefs, and Commanders lead the league with eight standalone regular-season game telecasts this season, followed by the Super Bowl champion Eagles with seven,” McCarthy wrote. “But if the Steelers win big, look for the NFL to reach for the flex button and shift some of their afternoon games into broader windows. In short, most signs point to The Steel Curtain once again becoming must-see TV this season.”

The Steelers kick off their 2025 regular season with a trip to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., as Rodgers faces the Jets, with whom he played the last two years. Another reunion game looms in Week 8 when the Packers visit Pittsburgh on “Sunday Night Football.” Rodgers won a record four NFL MVP Awards during his 18 seasons in Green Bay. Rodgers led the Packers to a 31-25 win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.

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