The Pittsburgh Steelers are among the most stable franchises in all of sports, whether they’re in the midst of a historic dynasty or mired in a long playoff-victory drought.
The franchise finds itself in the latter circumstance right now, as the Steelers haven’t won a postseason contest since marching to the AFC Championship Game in 2016. They’ve made the playoffs five times in that stretch — including four times in the past five years — but they haven’t been able to get over the hump against the AFC’s elite teams.
Mike Tomlin is just the organization’s third head coach of the Super Bowl era, and his regular-season winning percentage of .630 (183-107 record) is the best in franchise history. However he’s just 8-11 in playoff games, far below the standard set by Bill Cowher (12-9) and Chuck Noll (16-8).
Despite the team’s recent struggles on the game’s biggest stage, one franchise legend is speaking out in defense of the head coach, calling him “unfirable”.
Former Steelers Safety Ryan Clark Defends Head Coach Mike Tomlin
Former NFL safety Ryan Clark, who spent eight of his 13 seasons with the Steelers, including their 2008 Super Bowl run, has become a notable football analyst for ESPN. Known for his blunt opinions, Clark has already spoken out against Pittsburgh’s pursuit of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, calling the veteran signal-caller “washed”.
In a new interview on “The Pivot Podcast” with longtime Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, Clark spoke about Tomlin and the importance of his presence in the locker room, going so far as to suggest that Tomlin’s job security is practically unquestionable in the organization.
“You don’t fire a coach like Mike Tomlin. Mike Tomlin, in my opinion, is unfirable,” Clark claimed. “I think Mike T has earned the right to say ‘Maybe my voice has gotten stale in this locker room’.”
Clark proceeded to explain that Tomlin, for all of Pittsburgh’s recent struggles in the postseason, is still among the best and most revered coaches in the sport. If he were to be let go, Clark believes he could have an “Andy Reid-type start” elsewhere; Reid, of course, has found tremendous success with the Kansas City Chiefs since leaving the Philadelphia Eagles organization, winning three Super Bowls.
Clark then turned the conversation over to Heyward, asking the defensive tackle why, despite the team’s playoff failures, he remained unwaveringly confident in the Steelers’ head coach.
“I think one [reason] is transparency. From the second I walked in, I never had to question what the message was, or what he expected out of me,” Heyward responded.
“He finds ways to motivate guys, in and out of every season. No season is the same. I think that’s what makes him so much better than every coach. He knows how to motivate players in and out, and it doesn’t have to be some great, big, monster speech,” the defensive tackle concluded.
Mike Tomlin is unfirable in my opinion, but that means nothing. So I asked @CamHeyward why he, & others still believe in Mike T so much. His answer was informative, but also layered. It started with transparency, & ended with his ability to motivate.
Cam was ready to retire,… pic.twitter.com/kYsAKJKiu3
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25)
Tomlin has always been known as a great motivator, and it’s always been plainly clear how much his guys love playing for him.
For all of the Steelers’ struggles in the postseason, Tomlin has found ways to keep players engaged for nearly two decades. He still has not finished under .500 in any regular season, a record dating back 18 seasons to when he became Pittsburgh’s head coach in 2007.
In their quest to return to championship prominence, the team has made some notable moves ahead of the 2025 NFL season, including their blockbuster trade for wide receiver DK Metcalf. They still need to lock down a starting quarterback, be it Rodgers or another option.
