There’s only 1 scenario that would see Mike Tomlin gone as Steelers’ coach
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Despite a lot of speculation about the future of Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, odds are that he’ll be back as the Steelers’ head coach next year.
The franchise has had only three coaches since 1969. Plus, team owner Art Rooney II has so often publicly aligned himself with Tomlin despite his recent mediocre results that he isn’t going to fire him after his first losing season in 17 years.
That’s if the Steelers do end up losing at least two of their remaining three games. Which, let’s face it, feels like a fait accompli given their cataclysmic slide over the past three weeks against the Cardinals, Patriots and Colts.
For his part, Mark Madden of 105.9 The X sees only one way Tomlin isn’t back as Steelers head coach in 2024.
“The only scenario that could make Tomlin leave — not get fired, but just (have Tomlin) say ‘I’m done’ and take off — would be if Art II would say ‘Listen, we want you to coach. But you no longer have final say over personnel or coaching decisions, and we’re going to hire the coordinators,’” Madden said during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. “Tomlin might take offense to that and then skedaddle. But he’d be nuts to (do that). Because he’ll never get fired here.”
There’s been some scuttlebutt about the Steelers trading Tomlin’s current contract and his negotiating rights to another team. But Madden doesn’t see that happening.
“You hear about him getting traded to Washington or Carolina. He’d have to approve that, and why would you? Those are two hopeless situations,” Madden continued. “I think he’ll be back next year. I don’t think they’ll take control from him. I think we’ll all be amazed by how little things change this offseason. I think you’ll see a guy (hired) like (former Steeler Byron) Leftwich, a Tomlin crony. Or Eddie Faulkner gets retained. I think one of those two will be the next offensive coordinator.”
Regardless, Madden sees nothing but bleak skies for the organization in the future.
“This is just a bad football team. It’s a rotten organization from top to bottom. From Art II to the ball boy, it stinks. And to act like you could isolate some little thing, and if you fix that, it would all be better? This team is not going to win a playoff game for another five to 10 years. That’s how deep the hole has been dug.”
Well, at least we have the Peng– … Oh, right.
“Well, they are at about the same spot as the Steelers. The difference is that I think the general manager (Kyle Dubas) will, at some point, figure that this team is done winning, this core, and then make decisions accordingly. And I think that’ll start with trading Jake Guentzel at this year’s deadline,” Madden said.
I’m sure that will go over great with the fans, to say nothing of Sidney Crosby. But let’s tackle one crossroads crisis at a time.
Also, in the “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark and I discuss the Steelers quarterback dilemma heading into Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, George Pickens’ apparent lack of effort at times, the Penguins’ inconsistencies and the Pirates’ lack of desire to spend money.