Insider Reveals What Would Cause Steelers to Fire Mike Tomlin

There's quite a few questions swirling regarding how the Pittsburgh Steelers may proceed this offseason should they lose to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18 and thus miss the playoffs. What is pretty clear, though, is that owner Art Rooney II doesn't appear to have much, if any, interest in simply letting head coach Mike Tomlin go regardless of the team's fate.

Per Steelers insider Mark Kaboly, however, Rooney is more likely to make the decision to cut ties with Tomlin should the fan base show their disinterest and malcontent by not showing up to Acrisure Stadium for the regular season finale.

"I don't think they care as much about fire Tomlin [chants] as empty seats. We'll see how many people are there Sunday night. It should be full," Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan, per Steelers Depot's Alex Roessler.

Chances of Fans Voicing Their Displeasure vs. Ravens

Steelers fans, quite infamously, chanted 'fire Tomlin' during the team's Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills by a score of 26-7 that featured a complete meltdown in the second half.

Tomlin responded to the fan base's cries during his postgame press conference and sympathized with the sentiment by stating that the team didn't perform well enough.

"Man, I share their frustration tonight," he said. "We didn't do enough and that's the reality of it."

Pittsburgh quickly turned things around, though, as it went on a three-game win streak from Week 14 to Week 16 that saw it regain control of its own destiny over Baltimore in the AFC North.

Though the Steelers still are in charge of their own fate heading into tonight's bout, they squandered a golden opportunity to lock up the division by falling to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 after the Ravens defeated the Green Bay Packers.

The momentum feels like it's in Baltimore's favor, and while Acrisure Stadium will surely be sold out for a game of such immense magnitude, it wouldn't come as a surprise if the fan base were to once again voice their displeasure with the product on the field should things go sideways for the Steelers.

Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Will Tomlin Actually Leave the Steelers?

Barring a complete disaster in terms of the outcome or outrage from fans, it still seems as though Tomlin returning to Pittsburgh for the 2026 campaign is in the cards.

Should the two parties go their separate ways, however, that would likely come as a result of Tomlin opting to depart the organization rather than Rooney making the decision to fire him.

The Steelers have been connected to a number of head coaching candidates over recent days, including Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, and The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the franchise looked into Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman as a potential replacement for Tomlin before he announced that he'd be returning to the Fighting Irish next year.

That doesn't mean Pittsburgh knows it'll have an opening, but rather it appears it is doing its due diligence just in case Tomlin decides not to come back for a 20th season.

A lot is hinging on how the Steelers play against the Ravens tonight, but if they do lose, change may be afoot.

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