Former NFL GM says Mike Tomlin's coaching is not to blame for Steelers' lack of recent playoff success

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't won a playoff game since 2017, a trend that all of Steeler nation is ready to see end.

Mike Tomlin, who has become polarizing over that stretch, is still thought of highly by the organization, evidenced by his three-year contract extension .

Fans may have started to push back on the Tomlin era, but for many around the league, he's still one of the best out, with former GM Michael Lombardi crediting his recent coaching jobs as some of his best yet.

Michael Lombardi ranks Mike Tomlin as the second-best HC in NFL

"I think some of his nine-win teams are some of his best coaching jobs" Lombardi said on a recent episode of The Lombardi Line . "They've not experienced what a lot of teams have, which is that lull. They're going through it after Ben Roethlisberger, but they still find ways to win nine and 10 games. I know Steelers fans want more playoff wins, they want more Super Bowls, Mike's only delivered one, but I think Mike's at the top of his game in terms of being able to keep the team as competitive as they can, in spite of the inability to find that quarterback."

Now, the pushback on Lombardi's ranking would come from the very end of that quote: "In spite of the inability to find that quarterback." Mike Tomlin may not be the GM, but you bet your bottom dollar he's at the head of the table when it comes to personnel decisions.

It may have been Kevin Colbert that drafted Kenny Pickett, but Tomlin signed off on it and was also the one to ship him out of town less than two years into his tenure as Steelers QB.

Colin Cowherd recently ranked his top-10 head coaches, and he had Tomlin at five, though he mentioned his lack of offensive specialization as a limiting factor in Tomlin's skillset.

"I think he's the great motivator in the NFL," Cowherd said of Tomlin during a recent episode of The Herd on FS1 . "I think he gets players to play above themselves very well. I have also said I thought he'd be a great college coach if he ever wanted to. He's great in teaching. He's very good in motivation and player development. I don't think he has a touch for offense. I don't like his offensive coordinator hires, but I put him at five."

It's more than fair to criticize Tomlin for his lack of an offensive plan at the OC, QB, or offensive line positions in the post-Big-Ben era. The team believes they fixed all three of those issues following the hiring of Arthur Smith, signing of Russell Wilson, and back-to-back drafts that may produce four starters up front.

We'll see if that comes to fruition in 2024 because if it doesn't, the heat will start to ramp up on Coach Tomlin.

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