The Steelers lost at home to the Bills on Sunday, 26-7, to fall to 6-6 on the season. They have now lost two straight games and three of their last four. While they are still tied atop the AFC North with the rival Ravens, they aren't playing inspiring football at the most important time of the season.
Steelers fans were clearly frustrated during the loss to the Bills. Pittsburgh led the game 7-3 at halftime and then were outscored 23-0 over the final two quarters as Josh Allen and Co. had their way with the Steelers and left town with a pretty easy win.
Mike Tomlin was asked after the game about hearing Steelers fans chant "Fire Tomlin!" late in the loss. The veteran coach, who is in his 19th year with the team and hasn't had a losing season in any of those years, had a very honest answer about that.
“Man, I share their frustrations tonight. We didn’t do enough. That’s just the reality of it.”
Here's that postgame moment:
When I asked Mike Tomlin about the chants to fire him:
— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) December 1, 2025
“Man, I share their frustrations tonight. We didn’t do enough. That’s just the reality of it.” #Steelers pic.twitter.com/CmjBZiKlHp
Tomlin has done a lot of great things during his time in Pittsburgh. It has also been a long time since he has led the team to any postseason success. His Super Bowl win came way back in his second season and Pittsburgh and he hasn't won a playoff game since 2016 when the Steelers beat the Chiefs in the divisional round. They then fell to Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC title game and have had five straight one-and-done showings the playoffs.
Steelers fans have long been frustrated with putting up winning records only to quickly get bounced from the postseason and those frustrations are only getting louder with Aaron Rodgers and Co. not playing well lately.
What's next for the Steelers in the 2025 NFL season
The good news for the Steelers is that they have five games left to turn things around and make a push for the playoffs. The bad news is they don't have the easiest schedule the rest of the way.
They play the Ravens twice, including this coming Sunday when they travel to Baltimore. The Ravens are coming off an ugly loss to the Bengals but still, this rivalry is always a heated one and the Steelers should expect to get the best from Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
They then host the Dolphins, who have won three straight games, before going to Detroit to face a talented Lions team that is also fighting for their playoff lives.
Pittsburgh will take on Shedeur Sanders and the Browns in Cleveland in Week 18 before finishing its regular season with a home game against the Ravens.
If the Steelers are unable to make the playoffs, there is reason to believe this could be Tomlin's final season with the team, which would be wild with all the success he's had. But considering his words after Sunday's loss, he might not be all that surprised if a move is a made.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike Tomlin Had Honest Answer to Question About ‘Fire Tomlin’ Chants By Steelers Fans.
