Former NFL Scout: Mike Tomlin Should Want Out of Pittsburgh

Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are at a crossroads. The team will have to look closely at everything this offseason after 2023, where they were supposed to break out but took a massive step back. But could Tomlin be the one to want out of Pittsburgh and not the other way around?

Former NFL scout John Middlekauf believes Mike Tomlin should want out of Pittsburgh because the pairing has gone stale after 17 seasons. Middlekauf believes that Tomlin could be better off starting anew somewhere else, building another legacy like Andy Reid did when he left the Philadelphia Eagles for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin against the Indianapolis Colts, Dec. 16, 2023 – Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

“I think that Mike Tomlin should want to be fired at this moment with where they are at,” Middlekauf said on the 3 and Out Podcast. “It’s just time. I’ve been fired twice. But that’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Both times went on to have more success and make more money. It’s time for a break.”

That’s an interesting perspective you likely will not hear repeating from, but one that could ring true from both sides. The pairing of Tomlin and the Steelers seems to be going stale and ricocheting into further depths where neither side benefits from it. If fired or traded, Tomlin would have jobs waiting for him on the other end of it, but that doesn’t mean he is the right guy for Pittsburgh anymore.

Tomlin is a good coach, but if he can adapt or change his ways, the Steelers likely will stuck in the mud. Reid was the same way with the Eagles, only changing after he left Philadelphia. Sometimes, that is what can happen with great coaches. But what the team will do with Tomlin having just one year left on his deal in 2024 remains to be seen.