Where Steelers' MIke Tomlin ranks among NFL head coaches

Mike Tomlin is entering his 19th season as the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach in 2025.

Tomlin is one of the better coaches of the 21st century and has never posted a losing season with the Steelers. However, Pittsburgh has had little playoff success over the last decade, as the franchise hasn't won a playoff game since the 2016-2017 season and has notched just three playoff victories since 2011.

Despite falling short in the postseason recently, CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin still ranked Tomlin as a top ten head coach in the NFL, placing him at No.10 on the list.

"Etched into history for his long and illustrious tenure but equally debated among Steelers faithful for his now-eight-year streak of postseason duds, Tomlin is a tough one to tackle. He consistently defies the odds by dragging outdated offenses and streaky defenses into the wild-card race, but if meaningful wins are the standard in Pittsburgh, well, he's run into quite a wall," Benjamin wrote.

As a pure football coach, Tomlin is elite. The 2008 Super Bowl champion has built a tough and gritty culture in Pittsburgh and constantly elevates talent at nearly every position.

However, the lack of winning in the playoffs since the Steelers' last Super Bowl appearance in 2010 could hurt Tomlin's legacy in the long run and affect his place among head coaches in present day and history.

2025 is the most important year of Tomlin's head coaching career. With Aaron Rodgers at the helm, Pittsburgh will have a ton of eyes on them, and the team is expected to at least compete for a playoff spot in a loaded AFC. 

If the Steelers miss the playoffs or suffer another disappointing exit in the postseason without a win, the calls to move on from Tomlin may grow incredibly loud in the Steel City.

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