Did Mike Tomlin do enough to earn a trip to the Hall of Fame with the Steelers?
We don’t know whether Mike Tomlin is done coaching, but his legacy is already up for examination. Does it measure up to those who are in the Hall of Fame? Although his predecessor, Bill Cowher, made it in, there are reasons to question whether he will follow.
Cowher finished his coaching career with a slightly lower winning percentage than Tomlin. But he also had a better track record in the postseason. And he also had the same number of division titles—when the division was larger as the AFC Central—in four fewer seasons.
Most notably, Bill Cowher made it into the Hall of Fame as part of an expanded Centennial class in 2020. It’s at least fair to question whether he would be in the Hall of Fame right now were it not for that, inducting 20 individuals. And the Pro Football Hall of Fame has made voting even more difficult recently. Last year, only four people earned enough votes. No contributors earned enough votes, including Bud Adams, Robert Kraft, Art Modell, and Art Rooney Jr.
Would Mike Tomlin earn enough votes when eligible to make it into the Hall of Fame with his current resume? He is tied for the ninth-most regular-season wins in NFL history. He has a Super Bowl ring and two trips to the Super Bowl. The Steelers won the division eight times under him, including in 2025. And, in case you didn’t know, he never had a losing season.
Despite the nausea it elicits in fans, it might very well be Mike Tomlin’s non-losing season bona fides that ultimately separate himself from the pack and allow him to earn his place in the Hall of Fame. While insufficient without follow-up results, it is a remarkable achievement in a vacuum.
Of the top-10 all-time winningest head coaches, the only one who isn’t in the Hall of Fame or who inevitably will be—Bill Belichick, Andy Reid—other than Mike Tomlin is Marty Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer posted 200 regular-season wins but went 3-13 in the playoffs. Tomlin just tied his dubious record of nine one-and-done playoff seasons. Tomlin also tied the record for the most consecutive playoff losses. Does that sound like a Hall of Famer to you?
The Steelers are out of the playoffs, exiting in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017. With seven consecutive postseason losses, and none in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but one, most likely, won’t be a Mike Tomlin firing.
The playoffs are still going, but for us and the Steelers, we are transitioning to offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you cover loses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
