Mike Tomlin 3 PIttsburgh SteelersBarry Reeger/Imagn Images

Next season, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots will host the Steelers at Gilette Stadium. Will Mike Tomlin be on the opposite sideline? Following Pittsburgh’s season-ending loss Saturday in the wild-card playoffs, Adam Schefter gave his latest understanding on where things stand with Tomlin and the Steelers.

“Last week, we said there would be teams that would be checking into the availability of Mike Tomlin and one did. And one was told that Mike Tomlin has a no-trade clause in his contract,” Schefter shared on Postseason NFL Countdown Sunday morning. “So, anything that would happen in Pittsburgh involving Mike Tomlin would come with his consent and his consent only. A loss like last night’s might further teams to look into it. Pittsburgh hasn’t given any indication that it wants to move on from Mike Tomlin.”

The Steelers became the first team in 25 years, since Detroit in 1999, to lose the last four-regular season games and bow out with a loss in its first playoff contest. Stuck in neutral over a six-game playoff losing streak and without a postseason win since 2016, Pittsburgh arguably has the highest floor and lowest ceiling of any team in NFL history.

“And this has been the most patient franchise not just in football but maybe in sports,” Schefter added. “When Bill Cowher was struggling at the end and fans in Pittsburgh wanted him gone, the Rooneys stuck with him and he wound up winning another Super Bowl. There’s no indication they want to move off of Mike Tomlin now. But this is an organization right now that is going to have to address some issues in the offseason.”

Key in those issues is the offense. Quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, as well as running back Najee Harris, are all free agents. Here are Tomlin’s comments following Saturday’s 28-14 loss at Baltimore, from the press box transcript:

Opening Statement: “Congratulations to the Ravens. They were the better group today. That was obvious. The X factor was Lamar’s unique talents. It seems like every time we got him behind the sticks, he made up for it, or we got him in a possession down circumstance, and he extended and won those circumstances. We never really found a fluid answer all day, obviously. That was highlighted by our inability to convert third downs in the first half, and they wore us out a little bit. The fatigue component of it became a factor. You can sum it all up to say they were certainly the better group today.” 

On whether he was surprised that the defense was ineffective: “You know, not in combination with our ineffectiveness on offense. When we are on the grass like that, particularly against a group and a unit like that, with a guy like (Jackson), it could look the way it looked.” 

On what led to the issues with their offense and the third downs: “We just weren’t good enough, to be quite honest with you – a drop here and there and things of that nature. When you’re playing good people, it really gets highlighted. We just weren’t good enough.” 

On the Steelers’ second-half offense: “I just think sometimes when people are playing with a lead, you get those opportunities. I appreciate the efforts of the guys. Certainly, we were playing to win, but we weren’t able to close the distance. I thought that big run by (Derrick Henry) kind of quelled some of that. Obviously, I appreciate the efforts and the intensity in which we took the field in the second half.” 

On ending the season with five straight losses: “I’m worried less about the regular season. We’re in the single-elimination tournament. I’m really just disappointed in how we performed tonight, given the opportunity we had.” 

On their inability to stop the Ravens’ run game: “I think it’s just volume. When they play 11-on-11 football, meaning quarterback mobility, things get really isolated. You miss a tackle; it has a chance to be significant. That’s how they play. That’s the uniqueness of their schematics. You couple that with the amount of time that we were on the grass, it multiplies.” 

On the ineffectiveness of Pittsburgh’s first-half offense: “We just haven’t moved the ball well enough or consistently enough or scored enough points. Particularly in January football, you’ve got to score points. We weren’t able to do that.”  

On next season’s quarterback situation: “I’m not ready to take a big-picture approach. I’m really assessing what happened today. I’m certainly appreciative of the efforts tonight, but I can say that largely, for the entire season, three quality people at the quarterback position, and I really appreciate what they poured into this.”  

On QB Russell Wilson’s play: “Again, it was like our play. It wasn’t good enough. I just loved the spirit in which he continued to fight, the way he led the group out of the locker room after the half. Certainly, none of us were good enough tonight.”  

On if losing in the first round of the playoffs is getting frustrating: “I’m just assessing what transpired tonight. As I told you guys earlier in the week, those are my bags, not this collective’s bags. So, my energy is on that group in there, what they were willing to give and the journey that we’ve been on this year. Certainly, it came to a disappointing end tonight.”  

For more information on the Ravens and Steelers, visit the Baltimore and Pittsburgh team pages at ProFootballPost.com.


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By Zak Gilbert

Since his freshman year at the University of Colorado, Zak Gilbert has worked 30 years in sports, including 18 NFL seasons. He's spent time with four NFL teams, serving as head of communications for both the Raiders and Browns. A veteran of nine Super Bowls, he most recently worked six seasons in the NFL's New York league office.

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