Mike Tomlin dragging the mediocre Steelers to the playoffs shows he's still underappreciated

Mike Tomlin is not at the end of his rope. Yes, he’s been coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers for nearly two decades. But because Tomlin started in his 30s, the icon is only 51 years old. Theoretically, he could coach the Steelers for another 17 seasons and cruise into a well-deserved retirement that will eventually feature a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio. He is a made man. He is flat-out untouchable as the kind of legendary coach most other NFL franchises could only dream of having roam their sidelines.

But after Monday afternoon’s 31-17 Wild Card defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, Tomlin’s professional coaching future feels murkier than ever. And because of his coaching status, it might be entirely of his accord alone.

“Mike, you have a year left on your contract…”

Mike Tomlin: pic.twitter.com/ouAncRXTzy

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 16, 2024

We knew Tomlin would mull over his NFL life whenever the Steelers’ season ended. Despite his relative youth for a head coach, we understood the personal sacrifices Tomlin has made for his organization, his assistant coaches, and his players year after year after year after year. While nothing is set in stone, a scenario where Tomlin steps down for a season (or longer), and the Steelers begin launching a replacement plan suddenly feels more feasible than ever.

All of this is expressly because Tomlin has nothing left to accomplish. At this point, dragging mediocre Steelers teams to the playoffs with atrocious quarterback play from the likes of Mason Rudolph, Mitchell Trubisky, and any other player who doesn’t belong at this level of football is Tomlin’s magnum opus. He has mastered coaching this sport if he can guide the Steelers to 10-win postseason campaigns without the forward pass. There is no other mountain left for this legend to scale. There is no deep and wide river to cross. Tomlin has found the final frontier. He has MacGyver’d an undeserving NFL team into yet another postseason berth. How could anyone possibly topple such an unfathomable feat?

No wonder young tackle Broderick Jones feels so strongly about his head coach:

Broderick Jones on Mike Tomlin’s leadership: “I’ve never had a coach like Mike T.” pic.twitter.com/nk1HnUl7Fn

— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) January 16, 2024

Considering the current state of the AFC, with seemingly countless elite quarterbacks laden all over the conference, Tomlin may also see the forest for the trees. Barring a blockbuster trade or free agent addition (Dak Prescott? Russell Wilson … I guess?), the Steelers will not be competing for a championship any time soon. Regardless of Tomlin’s golden coaching touch, the Steelers simply don’t possess the firepower necessary to compete with some of pro football’s true heavyweights. They have a definitive ceiling on what they can achieve even with Tomlin’s steady influence. Ever a forward thinker, I’d be surprised if Tomlin didn’t share this perspective.

Put another way: the Steelers aren’t good enough to compete for a Super Bowl as it stands. But Tomlin won’t let them fade away, and he might not be too keen on signing up for another full calendar year of this muddled-up Pittsburgh mess.

If this is the end for Tomlin in Pittsburgh, he should be lionized in Western Pennsylvania. He is every bit the beloved figure that Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher were and then some. A resume that features 11 playoff berths, seven division titles, two AFC championships, one Super Bowl win, and no losing seasons isn’t even the standard for a blueblood like the Steelers. That sort of coaching ledger is not typical, and no one should reasonably expect these results, regardless of organizational history. Tomlin could probably do this forever, punching in and out every day as an iconic coach, adding a new notable bullet point to that distinguished resume every year.

If this is the end for Tomlin, he’s earned the right to hang up his headset whenever and however he wants. No one should question the decision-making of a person who could coach a Mason Rudolph-led team to the playoffs. Everyone should appreciate a bona fide legend potentially taking the long view, who understands there are bigger things in life than football.