Two weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked like a playoff-bound team. Now, after back-to-back losses, which also included an injury to starting QB Kenny Pickett, the Steelers are fading fast at 7-6.
Pickett’s hurt right now, but even when healthy, the Steelers’ offense hasn’t scared anyone this season, ranking 28th in scoring. The former first-round pick is still just 25 years old, but he has just one multi-touchdown game of his career and one 300-yard passing performance. In other words, he hasn’t exactly convinced the entire Pittsburgh fanbase that he’s the proper heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger, who boasts two Super Bowl rings.
Then, for Coach Tomlin, he’s coming off rough losses to teams at least eight games below .500. It’s the first time a team above .500 accomplished the ‘feat.’ Tomlin has yet to have a losing season in his 16 years as the Steelers’ head coach. Pittsburgh may be above water for now, but matchups against Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Seattle, and Baltimore could lead to a tough end to the regular season.
The Steelers’ struggles, not only this year, but also last season too, have some wondering whether Coach Tomlin will move on and even if Pickett is the long-term solution at QB.
Related: Updated NFL QB rankings
Is Kenny Pickett’s role as Pittsburgh’s QB1 secure?
When Pickett starts, the Steelers are 7-5 this season. That’s the same record Pittsburgh held when he started as a rookie for the Steelers last season too. But, as mentioned, they haven’t been able to light up the scoreboard, averaging just 16.8 PPG across 23 starts (I removed one start since Pickett threw one pass before leaving with injury).
There’s no question the Steelers’ offense is troubled, but is Pickett part of the problem, or can he be part of the solution? Right now, the answers to those questions are undetermined.
Yet, as ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reports, the Steelers “haven’t given any indication they plan to move on from Pickett in the near future.”Considering he’s under contract through 2025, with the Steelers having the option to add a fifth year to his rookie deal, there’s no reason to throw the towel in on their young QB any time soon.
Will Mike Tomlin return to Pittsburgh in 2024?
Alright, so if Pickett’s job is secure, what about Coach Tomlin’s?
The longtime Steelers coach never has Pittsburgh in danger of landing a top-five pick, but he also hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. Not to mention, it may not even be Pittsburgh who decides they want a change of scenery. With just one year left on his contract, what if Tomlin thinks he could find greener pastures outside of Pittsburgh? The 2008 Super Bowl champion would certainly generate plenty of interest on the open market.
Yet, as Dianna Russini reports, “It’s hard to find anyone in the Steelers’ organization who strongly believes Tomlin will get fired.”
Considering this is a franchise with the most loyal history to their head coaches in NFL history, the thought of moving on from Tomlin now would be shocking. Yet again, that doesn’t mean Tomlin might not feel differently, which is pure speculation here. There have been no indications of a sudden lack of loyalty from Pittsburgh’s leader.
