Steelers' Mike Tomlin Says He's Been on Hot Seat 'For 19 Years' Amid Contract Rumors

Mike Tomlin's status as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been a significant focus at times this season, but he said it has been business as usual from his perspective.

"Man, I've been in the hot seat for 19 years," Tomlin told reporters Tuesday. "I always feel like I got something to prove. Not necessarily to anyone in particular, but that's just the spirit in which I go about what I do professionally."

That may be the way he feels, but the 2025 campaign has magnified his job status.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted fans chanted "Fire Tomlin" during Pittsburgh's Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills. What's more, former Steelers players such as Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison suggested it may be time for a coaching change.

To Tomlin's credit, he and the Steelers bounced back in a major way with a 27-22 road win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. They improved to 7-6, snapped a two-game losing streak and moved into first place in the AFC North in the process.

▶️ Full Steelers-Ravens Recap

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Frankly, it was a surprising result considering Pittsburgh was 2-5 in its previous seven games and seemed to be trending in the wrong direction. Yet everything is still in front of it heading into the final four games of the regular season, and Tomlin can help change some of the narrative.

Still, some lingering frustration is understandable from fans. 

The team hasn't won a playoff game since the 2016 campaign and lost in the Wild Card Round in four of the last five seasons. Pittsburgh has seemingly been the same team every year of late, which is talented enough to reach the postseason but not talented enough to take the next step as a true contender.

That might be the case once again this season despite the win over Baltimore, which will only lead to more discussions about Tomlin's job status moving forward.