Steelers Owner Shares Message to Mike Tomlin

The Pittsburgh Steelers' owner provided insight into his conversations with head coach Mike Tomlin after another early playoff exit.

Jan 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II and head coach Mike Tomlin are in lockstep as the organization attempts to get back on track following a five-game losing streak to end the season.

"We got to figure out what to do better," Rooney told reporters on Monday. "Mike knows what the goal is. He’s as disappointed as I am.”

The Steelers were one of the NFL's best teams for a majority of the year, carrying a 10-3 record and two-game lead in the AFC North into Week 15 before completely falling apart.

Rooney reiterated that Tomlin is the right man for the job given his track record of success in Pittsburgh, and isn't ready to move on from him after all he's proven up to this point in his coaching career.

"When you look at how many games Mike has won in this league, you don't win that many games if you're not a good coach," Rooney said. "I know he's frustrated, like we all are, in terms of not being able to take that next step."

For as much focus has been placed on the Steelers' need to remedy their quarterback situation this offseason, finding ways to alter their process from a coaching perspective is just as important.

Rooney doesn't believe Tomlin's "message" to the players has gotten stale, however, and believes there's still plenty of buy-in within the locker room.

"Look, it's fair to question it after losing five in a row, but when I talk to the players, I think the players still want to play for Mike," Rooney said. "I'm not concerned about his message or that kind of an issue."

There's no denying that Tomlin has helped embed a strong culture in Pittsburgh while the team has profiled as perennial playoff contenders, but six-straight losses in the postseason dating back to 2016 has muddied the waters and changed the tone surrounding the franchise.

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