The Pittsburgh Steelers, following their upset loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football, now find themselves at a crossroads.

The defeat has once again raised the question of whether head coach Mike Tomlin should remain with the team.

While Tomlin has been a well-respected figure in the league, currently being the longest tenured head coach, the franchise has taken great criticism in recent years.

Since taking over the reins as head coach in January of 2007, Tomlin has brought the team success. Notably, Tomlin brought the team to two Super Bowls, winning one of them in the 2008-09 NFL season.

The championship win, along with never posting an undefeated season, has greatly contributed to Tomlin’s legacy.

However, in recent years, consistency has become an issue. Often finishing seasons just above .500 has gradually disgruntled Pittsburgh fans.

Critics have argued that under Tomlin’s leadership, the team has reached a ceiling that has not led to recent championship aspirations.

This becomes apparent when realizing the team hasn’t won a playoff game since their wildcard victory over the Miami Dolphins in the 2016-17 NFL season.

One of the most significant issues has been the difficulties of the team finding a replacement for Ben Roethlisberger.

Before and after Roethlisberger’s 2022 retirement, the team aimed to find his successor.

The list of quarterbacks drafted by Mike Tomlin goes as follows:

• 2008 – Dennis Dixon: The 156th overall draft pick would last with the team for two years. Following 2010, he bounced around the league, playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, and Arizona Cardinals until exiting the league in 2014.
• 2013 – Landry Jones: The 115th overall draft pick would stay with Pittsburgh until 2017, when he was released and went to the XFL’s Dallas Renegades. Now he has an analyst position at the University of Tennessee.
• 2017 – Joshua Dobbs: The 135th overall draft pick remained with Pittsburgh until 2020. He then would serve stints playing for the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, and currently the New England Patriots in a backup role.
• 2018 – Mason Rudolph: The 76th overall draft pick served as a reliable player for Pittsburgh until his departure in 20224 to the Tennessee Titans. In 2025, he would return to the team where he serves as the backup quarterback to Aaron Rodgers to this day.
• 2022 – Kenny Pickett: The 20th overall draft pick was the first quarterback selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. He would start for Pittsburgh until his 2024 exit. Pickett would then be bounced around various teams, including the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles, all in backup roles.
• 2022 – Chris Oladokun: The 241st overall draft pick would be released from the team four months following the draft. That same year, he would be signed to the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad, where he remains today.
• 2025 – Will Howard: The 185th overall draft pick has yet to play a snap in the 2025-26 NFL season, as he sustained a preseason wrist injury.

The rotating door of players in the position has made it difficult for the team to build chemistry.

Another factor that plays a role in Pittsburgh’s struggles is the team’s numerous controversies in its wide receiver room.

Whether it has been Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, George Pickens, or most famously, Antonio Brown, the behavior in their receiving corps has been heavily criticized.

While the league’s culture and concussion symptoms can be attributed to the problem, at the end of the day, it presents Tomlin’s ability to maintain discipline in his locker room as poor.

As the franchise navigates its future, many will be wondering if ownership will continue with Tomlin going forward.

Ultimately, the anticipated decision will come to the team owners, the Rooney Family.