The Steelers were complete no-shows in the second half of a must-win game on Sunday, allowing the visiting Bills to bury them, 26-7. All is not lost for Mike Tomlin's team as 6-6 is good enough for a share of the AFC North lead with the Baltimore Ravens. Despite trending to finish above .500 for an unheard-of 22nd consecutive season, whispers about Tomlin's future in Pittsburgh have never been louder.
A lack of truly meaningful postseason success has fans exploring other pastures and wondering if a new message might yield better results. Setting aside the merits of Tomlin keeping or losing his current gig aside for a minute, it's fair to say that it would be a major event if the Steelers changed coaches. They and the Green Bay Packers are the NFL's beacons of consistency and there's been precious little turnover at the top over the past three generations.
If that happens, Rex Ryan believes Tomlin would quickly line up another gig.
"The old adage is 10 years you start to smell and all that and your message gets lost," he said on Monday's Get Up. 'I don't think that's the case with Mike Tomlin. Do Mike Tomlin a favor and fire him. He would get a job anywhere else in the league in two seconds."
"Do Mike Tomlin a favor and fire him. He would get a job anywhere else in the league in two seconds."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 1, 2025
—Rex Ryan on Mike Tomlin In Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/e3syb3P74e
Ryan went on to praise Tomlin for being a natural leader and pinpointed the Steelers' problems on roster construction—and a pricey but downright awful defense.
Coaches tend to stick together so it's no surprise to hear Ryan stick up for Tomlin. Anyone who has really studied what kind of quarterback play the long-time coach has gotten over the last decade might be pretty patient when making a decision on his future.
What's bizarre about all this is that no one thinks the Steelers are bad. No one thinks they're particularly great either. With five games remaining in the regular season they still have a great chance to host a playoff game.
This has been their existence for several years now. And maybe that looks good on paper but grows tiresome in practice.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rex Ryan Doesn't Think Mike Tomlin Is the Problem in Pittsburgh.
