ESPN Analyst Calls Out Steelers Fans Over Mike Tomlin

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers currently employ one of the most successful head coaches in league history, as head coach Mike Tomlin has been consistently successful over the course of his nearly 20-season career.

Now that the season has begun to a degree, it is now again time where people review coaches to see whether or not they feel their job is secure. Tomlin's job security has been a consistent discussion topic throughout the past couple seasons, but this season seems to have cooled significantly with the team starting with a strong 3-1 record.

Tomlin Deserves More Respect

However, some feel he is still lacking some acknowledgment from the public. Evan Cohen of ESPN believes that Tomlin deserves more respect, comparing him to the rough start of divisional rival Baltimore Ravens and their coach John Harbaugh in an appearance on ESPN's Unsportsmanlike.

"There's absolutely a conversation we had about Harbaugh, but shouldn't it actually lead us...to the respect that we should show for Mike Tomlin? Even when he has all this, it still ends up with a winning record," Cohen said. "Mike Tomlin's had all this, all the injuries. Mike Tomlin's never had a quarterback post-Ben as good as Lamar [Jackson]. He's had banged-up guys every single year, and every year he ends up with a winning record. And every year we complain because he didn't do enough with that winning record."

Harbaugh probably also deserves more credeit for his remarkable consistency, but both coaches have struggled to a serious degree when the playoffs come around. The most recent Super Bowl appearance by an AFC North team came from a Bengals franchise that is unlikely to finish this current season with a winning record.

Sep 28, 2025; Dublin, Ireland; Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin interacts with fans during an NFL International Series game against the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Both can quiet their detractors by getting those ever-elusive playoff wins, but at least in Tomlin's case it seems more likely that he will have another chance at that than Harbaugh will. The Steelers playoff odds have continued to increase with their conference and divisional foes collapsing around them, including the top team in the conference in the Bills becoming the last team to have a loss during Sunday Night Football.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!