Steelers, Mike Tomlin Make NFL History

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made NFL history after his team finished off a chaotic victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 16.

With the win, the Steelers have clinched a winning record for the season now that they sit at 9-6 with just two games remaining before the postseason hits.

As a result, Tomlin has now led the franchise to 19-straight, non-losing campaigns since taking over for Hall of Fame predecessor Bill Cowher ahead of the 2007 season. The Steelers now hold the NFL's longest non-losing season streak with 22, surpassing the Dallas Cowboys (1965-1985).

Mike Tomlin has clinched a 19th consecutive non-losing season with Sunday’s win over the Lions, the 200th of his Steelers career.

The streak lives on — as Pittsburgh survives in dramatic fashion. pic.twitter.com/MTD6IdNi1D
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) December 22, 2025

Tomlin's Legendary Steelers Tenure

Pittsburgh's win over Detroit was Tomlin's 192nd in his illustrious career, meaning that he is now one shy of tying legendary Steelers head coach Chuck Noll, who won four Super Bowls with the franchise, for the ninth-most in league history.

The closest Tomlin has ever come to turning in a losing campaign with the Steelers was a pair of back-to-back 8-8 showings in 2012 and 2013. He also matched that total in 2019 when Ben Roethlisberger missed all but two games due to an elbow injury.

Tomlin has now surpassed Bill Belichick for the most consecutive non-losing seasons in NFL history, as the latter didn't have one with the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2019 before going 7-9 in 2020 after Tom Brady departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tom Landry is the only coach left to catch for Tomlin, as he completed 21-straight non-losing campaigns with the Dallas Cowboys from 1965 to 1985.

As a franchise, Pittsburgh now holds the NFL record for the most overall non-losing seasons with 22. Its last campaign of that sort came in 2003 when it went 6-10 under Cowher.

Tomlin's overall record with the Steelers now sits at 192-113-2. He led the organization to a victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII and has reached the playoffs on 12 occasions, where he's gone 8-11.

Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin warms up for a game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

What's Next?

What a difference three weeks make. After chants of "fire Tomlin" rang out from the seats at Acrisure Stadium during the Steelers' 26-7 blowout loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in Week 13, the team has now won three-straight games and is firmly in the driver's seat of the AFC North.

Now matter what happens from this point forward, Pittsburgh would clinch its first division title since 2020 with a victory over the Baltimore Ravens at home in Week 18, and a world exists where it could wrap it up in Week 17 as well.

For as much speculation as there had been about Tomlin's future with the Steelers, it feels like a lock that he'll once again be back with the team in 2026.

Now, the focus has to be on Pittsburgh snapping its six-game postseason losing streak that dates all the way back to the AFC Championship Game in January 2017.

This iteration of the Steelers feels like it has something good going for themselves at the moment, and perhaps Tomlin and company will advance in the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade if they can keep it up.

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