Mike Tomlin has been the head coach of the black and gold since 2007. Early in his tenure, the Steelers had a lot of success, and it was all smiles in Pittsburgh when anyone wanted to talk football. Since then, the Steelers have never finished worse than .500 on the season in terms of wins. Even in recent years, there have been playoff appearances. However, there is now a pattern of playoff games in which the Steelers do not appear prepared when they take the field, leading to early and sometimes even embarrassing exits. Pittsburgh is now in the midst of a nine-year playoff drought, and since their 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild card round a few weeks ago, fan morale is extremely low.

In listening to other contributors’ opinions on this page as well as talking with other Steelers fans, many people seem to be fed up with the team and how they have been playing over the past several years. Fans are tired of being good enough to make the playoffs but not to have success once they are there. Many fans feel like there has not been much progress made in addressing the issues that have been plaguing the Steelers for years now. I cannot say that I disagree; it is difficult as a fan of a franchise who has been so historically successful to watch what is, in many ways, mediocre over the past 5 years. This begs the question: what is the problem in Pittsburgh? Is it the players and a lack of talent? The scheme? The coaching? Has there been a culture change for the worst?

If I am being honest, I think it is a mix of all of the above. While there is some talent on the offensive side of the roster, there isn’t near enough to compete with the NFL’s elite. The Steelers currently do not have a franchise quarterback, they are lacking quality depth behind George Pickens at wide receiver, and their offensive line is still fairly young and developing. Early in the season, the Steelers offense appeared significantly improved from the previous season. Pittsburgh was winning games, and they were even a top 10 rushing offense for several weeks. Based on this, I thought Arthur Smith might be a decent enough fit in Pittsburgh. Down the stretch, though, when the offense did not perform well, there was no answer schematically to correct or improve it. This makes me second guess Arthur Smith and his future in Pittsburgh. Defensively, the Steelers should have performed so much better down the stretch; they are the highest paid defense in the league and are loaded with talent. They have special players and great leaders in TJ Watt and Cam Heyward. However, they did not perform to their utmost abilities in the last quarter of the season. To me, this is a red flag and calls Teryl Austin into question.

Now to discuss the elephant in the room that has been brought to light by both fans and national media over the last few weeks: Mike Tomlin. Tomlin is an intelligent and well-respected man across the NFL. He is a player’s coach; what I mean by that is that even players from other teams mention that they would love the opportunity to play for him when asked. He understands how to motivate. He played an integral role as a secondary coach in Tony Dungy’s Tampa 2 defense years ago, and he fits Pittsburgh’s preference and tradition of hiring defensive-minded coaches. For what it’s worth, the man has two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl ring, and he has never had a losing season in his 18-year head coaching career.

With all that being said, things have not been peachy in Pittsburgh for a long time now. Year after year, the Steelers are good enough to make the playoffs, but they are not good enough to find any success there. As previously mentioned, it has been nearly a decade since Pittsburgh’s last postseason win. The message and tone of the team always feels the same. While that message resonated greatly years ago, it seems to be stale now. I can’t help but feel like the magic is, for the most part, gone. It’s like Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are trapped in a loveless marriage. What used to be a match made in heaven simply doesn’t feel that way anymore, and both sides are simply going through the motions. Much like a couple who loses their spark, I believe a separation could benefit both parties.

When I consider this, I can’t help but think about Andy Reid near the end of his tenure in Philadelphia. He found some success with the Eagles, but it was time for both sides to move on. In hindsight, it might have been what was best for both Andy Reid and the Eagles organization. The Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII, their first in franchise history. They could very well be on their way to a second world championship as they are in the midst of a strong playoff push. Andy Reid continued on to Kansas City and has been extremely successful. Patrick Mahomes and company have established a current-day dynasty, winning three Super Bowls over the past six years.

I think there could be a similar outcome if Mike Tomlin and the Steelers were to part ways. New life within the Steelers organization could be just what is needed to exit this current cycle of mediocrity. It would at the very least maybe yield some different results because for the first time in a long time the approach would be different. Mike Tomlin could have a new head coaching job in a split second, and I believe he could be successful regardless of where he went. Maybe there is another locker room that needs his message more than the Pittsburgh Steelers do right now.

While Tomlin and the Steelers are not likely to part ways any time soon, it truly feels like the flame between them is flickering. Is it too late to rekindle success in Pittsburgh with their current head coach? If there is to be any chance, things definitely need to be spiced up this offseason.