Tuesday Mike Tomlin met with media for his annual season-ending press conference. Unfortunately, the press conference has been the same week the past few seasons, right after the Steelers Wild Card loss in the AFC Playoffs. If you’ve paid attention to these press conferences in the past, you know there are a lot of questions, but not a lot of answers. To be honest, I can’t blame Tomlin for not diving deep into the minutiae of some questions based on where the team/organization is at this stage of the offseason.

But throughout all the non-answers Tomlin provided, there were some responses which were worth noting from the team’s head coach as the offseason gets underway.

Tomlin spoke about how he and the front office have met to talk about things they can improve upon, like keeping the team healthier throughout the course of the season. Tomlin spoke about the “rash” of soft tissue injuries sustained by the team, which was impactful in many different areas as the season progressed.

When asked about potential changes in the coaching staff, Tomlin admitted turnover among the staff is an annual occurrence. Tomlin admitted many of his staff aren’t under contract after this season, and there will naturally be some changes made on the coaching staff. As for the evaluation process, Tomlin said the organization is in the early stages of that.

A big talking point throughout the question and answer session was the team’s plan at the quarterback position. Tomlin stated the obvious, how no quarterback is currently under contract for the 2025 season. He added it was a good experience with the three quarterbacks, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen, on the roster, and the team is open to considering bringing any combination of those signal callers back in the near future. He admitted the team has a lot of work ahead, starting with understanding what the options are with free agency and the NFL Draft at the position.

When asked if there is anything specific pertaining to the uncertainty at the quarterback position, Tomlin said they are having those discussions, and acknowledge those simple factors have likely equated in the early exits of the playoffs the past few seasons.

Tomlin was asked specifically about Justin Fields and if he’s shown enough to be the quarterback of the future, but more importantly if he has shown enough to be in the pole position in 2025? Tomlin’s answer was simple, “Certainly.”

The most notable answer from Tomlin might have been in response to the final question during the press conference. Tim Benz of the Tribune-Review asked Tomlin about the report of George Pickens showing up late, after the inactives were announced, to the Christmas Day game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Tomlin stumbled to find an answer, suggesting it was too long ago and he doesn’t remember. With that, the press conference was over and fans won’t hear from Tomlin again until the pre-draft press conference as Tomlin is one of the only coaches who doesn’t address the media at the NFL Scouting Combine.

In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of what could be a lengthy offseason.