PITTSBURGH — Not everyone believes that non-losing seasons and consistency is enough for the Pittsburgh Steelers to stick with head coach Mike Tomlin.

Former NFL scout John Middlekauff is one who does not. Speaking on his podcast, Three and Out, Middlekauff said the Steelers should have fired Tomlin during the season because of the team’s lack of success outside of non-losing records, and if Pittsburgh wants to get out of a rut, moving on is the best move.I thought they should’ve moved on from Tomlin last year,” Middlekauff said. “Like I said, it’s time for a new start… I think the Steelers are in a little bit of trouble. They’re not going to be terrible, but I kinda view them in the same range they’ve been in.”

The Steelers likely never thought of firing Tomlin and it may take a lot more than being in a “rut” for them to move on from a Hall of Fame-worthy head coach. But critics continued to appear, and to some degree it’s warrented.

With Pittsburgh not winning a playoff game in several years, the pressure is on for Tomlin to take this team to the next level. And in 2024, all eyes will be on him to do just that – and shut down critics who believe he should be gone.