It’s been a rough stretch for the Pittsburgh Steelers lately, losing three of their last four and scoring 10 points or fewer in two of those games, and now, it appears to have reached a boiling point within the fan base, with fans chanting “Fire Tomlin!” during their 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The chant, of course, referring to head coach Mike Tomlin, has drawn a lot of reactions, including that of Bruce Arians, who was on the Steelers’ coaching staff from 2004 to 2011, and alongside Tomlin since 2007.
Bruce Arians Gives Mike Tomlin Advice Following Chants and Boos
Appearing on the “Pat McAfee Show,” Arians was asked by McAfee what he thinks of the situation unfolding in Pittsburgh, mentioning Arians’ time there, and citing Tomlin’s comments about being a 6-6 team and not liking it.
For context, before examining Arians’ response, the Steelers’ record from 2021 through Week 13 of the 2025-26 NFL season is 44-35-1. They’ve made the playoffs three times from 2021 through the 2024-25 season, but haven’t made it out of the wild-card round.
In fact, the last time they played a playoff game that wasn’t in the wild-card round was 2017, when they went 13-3 and lost in the divisional round.
All that being said, here’s what Arians had to say:
“Yeah, I think it’s a lot hotter. I mean, I would not want to be one of the coordinators, because you’re not coming back next year for sure. That’s gonna happen, that’s always happened. So it’s like, will [Steelers owner] Art [Rooney II] pull the trigger, which I doubt very seriously. If I were Mike [Tomlin], I’d want to get out and go somewhere new. Start over,” Arians started.
“If I were Mike Tomlin I would like to get out of Pittsburgh and start somewhere new..
He has done a great job there for years but I’m totally shocked watching that Steelers defense”@BruceArians #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/wcTqPmPRKh
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 2, 2025
As a side note, Emmanuel Acho shares the same sentiment.
“You’ve got to do this a couple of different times,” McAfee responded, referring to Arians’ time as the interim head coach for the Indianapolis Colts and head coach for the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He also asked Arians what it was like to go to different teams, as he had done.
“Yeah, it’s an easier [sic] giving that message, you know? Some players get tired of the message and you have to keep it fresh. Mike’s done a great job of keeping for years and, you know… I’m shocked watching their defense play.”
He added, “I’m just totally shocked because talent’s not the issue. They got talent, and they went out and got all those guys in free agency and it’s just amazing to me watch the Steelers play right. It’s almost like they don’t have Steeler pride.”
Arians has a point. The Steelers are near the bottom third in PFSN’s Defense Impact score with a 72 grade (20th).
The Steelers have five games to go this season, including two matchups with the Baltimore Ravens and one against the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Cleveland Browns.
We’ll see if they finish out the year strong enough to make the playoffs, and if they do, all eyes will be on how they perform. It’s hard to imagine Tomlin being with another team, but it appears more likely than ever now.
