When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed head coach Mike Tomlin to a three-year contract extension Monday, there was a fair amount of outcry. There is no doubt that Tomlin is one of the most successful head coaches of the recent era. He’s won a Super Bowl, coached in another, and has the 13th-most wins in NFL history (third among active head coaches).
Yet there are reasons for Steelers fans to be frustrated. One of the biggest sticking points is that the team hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. That’s a long time for a streak of futility. Yet former Steelers front office executive Doug Whaley doesn’t think that’s the biggest issue when talking about Tomlin overall.